Cindy Prascik's Review of Da 5 Bloods

My dears, the bad news this week is my cinema has reopened...with a full slate of movies I've already seen, and nothing I'd risk a deadly disease to see again. (*cough* Rocketman *cough*)

The good news is Netflix is premiering a buzzy, brand-new release from revered director Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods.

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.

A group of veterans returns to Vietnam to repatriate a fallen colleague...and reclaim a hidden treasure.
The good news is Da 5 Bloods is a pretty engaging picture that doesn't feel long despite its boated runtime. It's painfully relevant, hammering home some difficult truths about the many sides to any story, the ambiguousness of "good guys" and "bad guys," and the ugliness of prejudice, even among those who are, themselves, victims of it. It boasts some nice performances (what a delight to see Norm Lewis!), and — between the festering wound that the Vietnam war remains in this country, and the historical footage and photos it uses to underline its own story — the film packs quite an emotional wallop.

The bad news is Da 5 Bloods is more predictable than the worst broadcast network police procedural. The aforementioned nice performances are countered by some legitimately terrible acting. The film's gruesome violence is so over the top as to be almost comical at times, and its melodramatic score is equally ridiculous. Finally Da 5 Bloods suffers a severe shortage of Chadwick Boseman. If you are watching this movie to see Chadwick Boseman, watch 21 Bridges instead. It's a better movie, and you'll get a lot more Chadwick for your buck.

Da 5 Bloods clocks in at 154 minutes and is rated R for, "strong violence, grisly images, and pervasive language."

I'd be hard-pressed to call Da 5 Bloods a good movie, but it's certainly an important one that's worth your time. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Da 5 Bloods gets five.

Until next time, dear reader(s), take care and stay well, and I'll hope to see you at the cinema soon!

MOVIE REVIEW: DA 5 BLOODS

Four African American vets battle the forces of man and nature when they return to Vietnam seeking the remains of their fallen squad leader and the gold fortune he helped them hide.

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, Jasper Pääkkönen, Jean Reno

Release Date: June 12, 2020

Genres: Drama, War

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images and pervasive language

Runtime: 2h 35min

Review:

Da 5 Bloods is a film that has a lot on its mind.  Spike Lee foregoes subtly and delivers a timely but decidedly didactic treaty on race which feels incredibly timely given the current state of the world.   Lee’s visuals here are impressively aggressive throughout with aspect ratios changing based on time periods and news reel footage interspaced to highlight film some of his points.  The story itself feels like a something for the late 70s or 80s Vietnam films which is clearly intentional.  The cast is stellar across the board with Delroy Lindo delivering some of his best work in his storied career.  It’s always great to see The Wire alums get a spotlight and both Clarke Peter and Isiah Whitlock Jr. both deliver excellent work here.  Those expecting Chadwick Boseman to be a major part of the film will likely walk away disappointed since his character gets limited screen time even though he’s one of the driving forces in the story.  While the basic plot is fairly basic, Lee uses multiple techniques to keep the story engaging but its hard not to notice that there could have been some cuts here or there to make the film tighter.  As is, the film moves at a snail’s pace working better as a series of character studies and history lesson. 

B-

Cindy Prascik's Review of BlacKkKlansman

Dearest Blog: Yesterday it was off to Marquee Cinemas for Spike Lee's BlacKklansman, touted as one of the year's best films thus far.

 

Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers or from the news if you're old enough.

 

Colorado Springs' first black police officer goes undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. (Seriously.)

 

Unarmed with knowledge of the true story, one might naturally assume a yarn as absurd as BlacKklansman to be fictional comedy. The movie does, in fact, feature several laugh-out-loud moments. These ridiculous situations that seem hilarious in fiction are decidedly less so when based in reality (especially in today's climate), but the moments of levity are well-placed and necessary in a story that's pretty hard to stomach at times. Despite deliberate pacing, BlacKkKlansman never feels slow, though the harsh, hateful language and the tension of the case itself definitely made me fidgety. Much of the picture is so surprisingly quiet that, on those occasions when Terence Blanchard's score really rears its head, it feels a little jarring and out of place, but otherwise the musical selections are choice! Outstanding leads John David Washington and Adam Driver have terrific chemistry; Washington, in particular, carries the film with the ease of an old pro, despite having just eight acting credits on his resume. Director Lee expends a great deal of quality screen time focusing on individual faces in the crowds, as if begging viewers to remember we're all just people, no matter our ethnicity or heritage. BlacKkKlansman is the kind of essential film making that makes getting out to the cinema not just something you want to do, but something you HAVE to do.

 

BlacKkKlansman clocks in at 135 minutes and is rated R for "language throughout, including racial epithets, disturbing/violent material, and some sexual references."

 

BlacKkKlansman is that rare gem that truly earns the hype. 

 

Of a possible nine Weasleys, BlacKkKlansman gets nine.

 

Fangirl points: Well, dear reader(s), this basic 70s white girl sure did enjoy hearing Emerson Lake & Palmer's "Lucky Man" in digital surround sound!

 

Until next time...

MOVIE REVIEW: BLACKKKLANSMAN

From visionary filmmaker Spike Lee comes the incredible true story of an American hero. It’s the early 1970s, and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, Stallworth bravely sets out on a dangerous mission: infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. The young detective soon recruits a more seasoned colleague, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), into the undercover investigation of a lifetime. Together, they team up to take down the extremist hate group as the organization aims to sanitize its violent rhetoric to appeal to the mainstream. 

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace

Release Date: August 10, 2018

Genres: Biography, Comedy, Crime

Rated R for language throughout, including racial epithets, and for disturbing/violent material and some sexual references

Runtime: 2h 15 min

Review:

Blackkklansman is one of Spike Lee’s best films in a while.  It’s funny, uncomfortable and incredibly timely.  Spike Lee isn’t shy about being fairly vocal and direct on his message and it fits perfectly for this stranger than fiction true tale.  John David Washington, Denzel’s son, has a strong screen presence which translates well to the big screen.  Washington is the driving force to the film and he handles it with an experienced ease that’s rare to find.  He and Adam Driver share a strong chemistry with both delivering strong performances.  I’m usually not the biggest fan of Driver but he fits the role well.  The supporting cast is made up of strong character actors like Topher Grace and Jasper Pääkkönen who really shine in their roles.  If there’s a small complaint its that Lee’s film could use a tad bit of trimming since the romantic subplot feels oddly forced.  It’s a minor complaint since the film is fairly enjoyable for the majority of its runtime.  It’s a rare kind of message movie that’s as funny as it’s impactful.  

A-