Justin Hubbard

The best film of the year! Wonderful direction by Regina King, and amazing and heartfelt performances by all. Malcolm X's character was portrayed honestly. The Malcolm seen in public was different in private. Anyone who has read about him or studied up on him would know this. So Kingsley Ben-Adir gave us a glimpse into the private Malcolm, and his portrayal contrasted perfectly to what the public actually knows. Aldis Hodge as Jim Brown was more laid-back of the 4. The scene between him and Beau Bridge's character was heart-wrenching. Aldis did a good job at trying to keep the peace between his friends and even stood up to Malcolm's guard-Kareem X. Eli Goree as Cassius Clay was the youngest of the friends and he portrayed him perfectly. He was on top of the world, he was that guy and he know it and so did everyone around him. He was young and could be naïve, but he was also very confident at the same time, and decided what he was going to do regardless of what his friends said or did. Finally, Leslie Odom, Jr's portrayal of Sam Cooke was also top-notch. Him and Malcolm sparred the most and kept taking jabs at each other as they were trying to navigate the direction in the struggle that they were going to take. A lot of the movie took place in the hotel, and that was great because I felt that history in progress. Greatness and magic was all over that room. We got a glimpse into the personal lives of all 4 characters and what they went through or were going through. One thing I loved was how through Regina King's directional lens is that we saw the humanism of each character. The flaws that each had that were not always visible to the public, but also the great conversations (good and bad) that led each 4 on the path of their lives. Very emotional, magical, unforgettable and needed. I have seen twice already! Thank you to all!