Movie
Movie Review: ‘American Fiction’ | Moviefone
Movie Review: ‘American Fiction’ | Moviefone
Jeffrey Wright plays Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in writer-director Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” released by Orion Pictures. Photo credit: Claire Folger. © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All rights reserved. “American Fiction” opens in limited release on December 15th and nationwide on December 22nd. This is one of his cleverest and funniest satires to hit theaters in a long time. Cord Jefferson’s directorial debut is based on a confident, well-observed script that’s based on a great book. Jeffrey Wright co-stars and is surrounded by a cast of actors who don’t sound fake.
Is ‘American Fiction’ worth writing home about?
Brown stars as Cliff Ellison, Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison and Erica Alexander stars as Coraline in writer-director Cord Jefferson’s “American Fiction,” an Orion Pictures release. Photo credit: Claire Folger. © 2023 Orion Releasing LLC. All rights reserved. Issues of race in America and around the world are often difficult to address. And while this is clearly the driving force behind this film, it is handled with such confidence and creativity that it is moving and satisfying. Percival Everett’s novel Erasure shows how the black experience can be commercialized and packaged for guilt-ridden white audiences in order to be acceptable to the broader white society. It’s even harder to adapt a film driven by a sharp, angry perspective on history, so Cord Jefferson, who has worked as a screenwriter on series such as Watchmen, The Good Place, and Master of None, deserves it. Credited, but never having directed a film before, he is praised for how well he does his job. “American Fiction” occasionally slips into strange clichés of indie cinema, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful or entertaining.
‘American Fiction’: Script and Direction
Jefferson has worked in many writers’ studios and is familiar with clever screenplays. In this case, he takes inspiration from Everett’s work while finding his own voice. The main plot is clever and well observed, but the family history that runs parallel to it and plays a key role at times in the life of Jeffrey Wright’s character, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, is given enough space and time to develop into an equally compelling story. As a director, Jefferson mostly lets his characters do the heavy lifting. However, there are some interesting meta sequences that bring the creation to life, and the film’s ending is edited and reworked by two characters. The film’s muted color scheme enhances the story.
‘American Fiction’: Performances
Jeffrey Wright, the owner of American Fiction, clearly proves he’s one of the greatest actors of his generation, even if he isn’t always given the opportunity (which just goes to show why the film’s conceit is worth examining). Wright revels in the role of the Monk here, bringing Jefferson’s script to life in a way that’s complex, imaginative, and deeply satisfying. An academic writer who balances publishing sophisticated novels with teaching socially conscious, wealthy students at a Los Angeles university (shocked to find his work kept in the African-American section, he insists it be moved elsewhere, only to be told by a nervous sales clerk that chain stores don’t work that way), Monk is a wonderfully rounded, fully fleshed-out character.
‘American Fiction’: Final Thoughts
Jeffrey Wright, the owner of American Fiction, clearly proves he’s one of the greatest actors of his generation, even if he isn’t always given the opportunity (which just goes to show why the film’s conceit is worth examining). Wright revels in the role of the Monk here, bringing Jefferson’s script to life in a way that’s complex, imaginative, and deeply satisfying. An academic writer who balances publishing sophisticated novels with teaching socially conscious, wealthy students at a Los Angeles university (shocked to find his work kept in the African-American section, he insists it be moved elsewhere, only to be told by a nervous sales clerk that chain stores don’t work that way), Monk is a wonderfully rounded, fully fleshed-out character.
-
Anime12 months agoThe Rise of the Inquisitors: Star Wars’ Shift Away from the Sith
-
Netflix10 months agoThe 5 Best Zombie TV Shows Ranked
-
Anime10 months agoDemon Slayer Season 3 English Dub Release Date Revealed
-
Movie7 months agoSuperman’s Maximum Possible Speed Makes the Flash Look Slow
-
Anime10 months agoUltimate Picks: Greatest Boxing Anime Ever
-
Movie7 months agoThe Creepy True Story That Inspired The Movie
-
Movie7 months agoSabine Wren Is Officially A Jedi Now
-
Dc7 months agoDeadpool Thinks the Avengers Should Use a Different Codename (& He’s Right)
