Jae A

I understand the low reviews. The heavy accent on racism could be heard by someone completely void of hearing. Albeit, we must appreciate the illustration of how contagious hate can be. The movie captures the dangers of group think. It was designed to be uncomfortable. Everyone in America should be forced to watch, as the women could easily be swapped out with individuals of any race or sex and the bottom line would still be there.

The series was well-written… for a BOOK. That’s the problem- with so many highly-rated B List actors on-cast, the right director could have worked magic with this plot. However, it lacks the intensity from the actors and strategy from the director that the plot demands. While there is great acting present, it’s not consistent. I actually thought the filming team should get a gold medal- they revived as much interest as possible. Just when you’re past the shortcomings and you’re getting into it, there comes the scene that just needed more- more of something that you can’t quite theorize. When that happens, it’s the director’s fault. If you work in showbiz, don’t watch. You’ll pull your hair out re-staging/ re-blocking/ re-wording. All others, give it a chance. It has some potential.

So, where do I begin.... This movie had more ethnocentric twists on stereotypes than I think I've ever witnessed. Quite frankly, it was obviously written by, and produced for the white community- specifically those who are doused in privilege, but assume otherwise. Apparently, it was partially based on reality; what was real and what was imagined, I'd love to know. I shutter at the thought of a biracial child internalizing any of the stereotypes presented: 1. The white grandfather is presented as clean cut and "better than". He's a lawyer, living in a nice home, in a nice area. The black grandmother, by account of the movie, is also accomplished, but as an entrepreneur. She, however, lives in a rough neighborhood across the street from a crack house! Really!? She also has about 20 relatives living with her as she conducts business out of her garage. Not saying it couldn't happen, but it would certainly be an anomaly. What successful business owner lives under such circumstances? 2. The use of the "N" word felt forced and unnecessary. It was a cheap play at dropping the audience's mouth, but failed miserably because of the overuse. I was actually quite embarrassed, and I watched it alone. The overuse of the word contradicted the author's tone, mood, and style. 3. There was a scene in the black grandmother's home in which there is a full-on musical happening in her livingroom, with each relative playing an instrument or clapping along. I believe the scene was designed to illustrate a loving family, but I think the director should have done more research on how modern black families bond and socialize. 4. The black family expresses a desire to swim at the white grandfather's house. He welcomes them over for a swim one day in the future. They, however, show up unannounced, like children eager to take part in a new activity. A common stereotype about black people is that they are presumptuous, or unaware of social boundaries. This film did a great job of supporting this stereotype. This was the only pool they had access to? I guess we are to assume as much. I guess the director didn't have room in his imagination for a colored pool in their drug-filled community. 5. The director effectively made you dislike Eloise's black father. He was presumably on drugs, and this film painted him in the worse light possible. The white grandfather had a substance abuse problem, too, and had actually gotten intoxicated in front of a child. This was minimized and made to seem more acceptable, as long as he was 'working on it'. 6. The black grandmother keeps kissing the white grandfather on the cheek although he always wipes it off in front of her. Who would keep kissing him??? This made her seem simple-minded and it felt awkward. She's simple-minded enough to keep kissing him, but is a successful business owner? I could say more, but I'll stop there. The acting was good, but the microaggressions and support of stereotypes prevented this movie from making a larger impact on a larger audience.

What!? Like... what even happened there? There was absolutely no resolution or explanation at the end. The rising action and climax were decent, and 'Logan' did an AWESOME job with performance. However, none of this saved the movie- too many unanswered questions; sloppy and underwhelming plot. I'll never get my hour and half back. Pshsh!