We were rooting for this spectacular documentary about writer James Baldwin (1924-1987) to win the Oscar last night. Samuel L. Jackson reads Baldwin's words--about Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and race in general--in voice-over and Baldwin is credited as screenwriter. Director Raoul Peck and his editor have assembled a creative mix of archival and other footage which kept us and a packed Saturday afternoon audience spellbound for its entire 1:35 length.
We're so used to Jackson's (last blogged for The Legend of Tarzan) humor and snark that's he's almost unrecognizable when you can't see his face. With a terrific list of songs and original music by Alexei Aigui (he's new to me but here's some of his previous work on soundcloud), the music complements the visuals perfectly.
Though the movie (the only nominated documentary we have seen so far) lost to the seven hour O.J. doc and it has only four entries on my list, it has garnered many other nominations and some wins and we highly recommend you see it. It is playing here and there around the country and its DVD release is set for May 2, 2017. Rotten Tomatoes' critics are right with us, averaging 98% and its audiences close behind at 85.
One bit of trivia you won't miss when you see it--pay attention to the apology montage. Can you guess who is the one public figure whose apology is a sorry-not-sorry?
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