The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)

Oprah is powerful as ever, but for some reason she was snubbed of an Emmy nomination. Oprah can do no wrong. I actually thought Rose Byrne was kind of charming. The movie isn't just about Henrietta of course, but about Rebecca Skloot's research process. The story of the Lacks family is as much Henrietta's story as her own life for in death she continues to bear influence on them. Johns Hopkins has done some horrible things, especially to the local African American population, in its history in the name of science and otherwise. And this film begins to tell us about some of them. What they did with Henrietta Lacks was ethically dubious but official policy is not well-defined. Though I think they were certainly wrong to draw blood from her descendants without properly informing them.

The opening scene in black-and-white, as if on an old film reel, is slickly edited to a drumming soundtrack. It tells you everything you need to know and the drums give it a sense of direction. The rest of the film however, to be totally honest, is a little boring. They have very short cuts to Henrietta Lacks and her life. These scenes serve little purpose because the real drama is in the present. I don't think Renee Elise Goldsberry even has a speaking role. Goldsberry has a very small role in the film, but she actually bears a surprising likeness to Henrietta Lacks. Good casting or good make up.

Selma (2014)

Ava Duvernay's paints a vivid picture of the 1965 voting rights marches in Selma, Alabama.  She does not shirk away from violence or hatred, beginning the film with an unexpected, very graphic "BANG!"  The audience sees and hears the billy club wielding policemen brutally beating and teargassing nonviolent protesters.  There is a great shot that follows Oprah's character Annie Lee Cooper head on falling backwards to the concrete.  But amid all the violence there is hope.  This film is a testament to the idea that people of all backgrounds can come together to bring about change in society.  This message is especially important in our society today, when we are reminded of the protests in Ferguson or in Hong Kong.

It is important to be reminded that these are real people being portrayed on screen.  The characters, even supporting characters, are all actual historical figures.  A lot of research was done for this film. For the unknowing viewer, the epilogue credits give proof that the people depicted are real, some still living today.  We also see black-and-white historical footage of the march to Montgomery with the hordes of people crossing the bridge.

One interesting fact about the screenplay is that all of the speeches made by Oyelowo as King are made up.  The filmmaker did not have permission to use the text from his actual speeches. Interestingly though, the speeches in the film actually sound like things King might have said.  The cadence, the content, and even the figurative language are all reminiscent of King's words.  Oyelowo does an excellent job as King, portraying him in public and private life.  The FBI was always suspicious of King, and constantly kept him under surveillance.  We are subtly reminded of this at the end of each scene with typewriter text appearing on the screen recording the FBI's logs.  This stylistic choice of Duvernay keeps the FBI ominously lurking in the background as they actually did.

And finally, I love "Glory," the song at the end credits by Common and John Legend. Its message, rhythm and chorus resonate with the audience for an uplifting ending