The Circle (2017)

The Circle premiered in Italy one day before it did in the US. It’s like Tom Hanks movies just get earlier release dates in Italy. He is probably one of the best parts about this movie. There was a lot of potential for The Circle. But it does not meet its potential. The questions it asks may be interesting, but they’ve apparently been done much better by Black Mirror. What this movie lacks is a satisfying ending, and character development, and thrill. I’m not sure what genre it would categorize itself as, but I found myself laughing at parts that probably shouldn’t have been funny (but Patton Oswalt is in it), but not thrilled enough in what would’ve made a cool thriller. The score is the most thrilling thing about the movie. Danny Elfman tries to channel Reznor and Ross (a la The Social Network, from which the movie certainly took some atmospheric cues). Emma Watson puts on an American accent, which I simply cannot take seriously. It’s not a bad accent necessarily, but I know she doesn’t sound like that, and it seems forced. I don’t think her British accent would’ve detracted from the character at all. If anything, I’d fault poor writing. It all seemed so unnatural. Maybe that was the point, but it made for some very awkward scenes. John Boyega has a small role that is never really fleshed out. He is reduced to two scenes and is essentially inconsequential to the plot. He is wasted. Reviewers will point to the allusions to Google and Apple and Facebook, but the real life company that most closely resembles The Circle is actually WeChat, which has integrated every aspect of Chinese life into one convenient app. We’re not talking about hypotheticals. WeChat is already doing it. I wonder if this movie will make it to China. I think they like Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, but I can’t imagine it being allowed.

Dave Chappelle: The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas (2017)

It must be good to be back after so long. After a sure-to-be-Emmy-nominated hosting gig on SNL, Dave Chappelle recorded two stand-up sets for Netflix. I don't think this was as good as the set he did on SNL. That was masterful, timely and piercingly funny. The old master of comedy and the new home for comedy--I think Netflix has securely taken that title from HBO by this point. He's still got it. He is very funny, controversial (definitely not pc) at times, but that's part of why he's so funny. He's not politically incorrect just to be provocative, he has actually put some thought into it. A lot of comedians have tackled Bill Cosby, but Chappelle takes a more nuanced look at who was once a heroic figure for the African American community.  His second special was less funny, 3/5. I don't know, it seems a little lazier to me. It wasn't as poignant or as cutting or as relevant as the first.

Louis CK 2017 (2017)

Louis CK's latest special starts out a little rough. You can tell the audience is having a hard time buying into it. And quite frankly the first couple of bits drag on too long. But he soon finds his rhythm and ends up with a pretty funny set overall. As always, he likes to do voices. His jokes don't necessarily hinge on the voices, but they add a silly dimension to his delivery. They're not even really good voices, but they're so ridiculous juxtaposed to his signature gloom and doom that you can't help but laugh. The best bit is about 9/11 deniers, who his daughter mistakenly refer to as nine 11-deniers, like 9 people who deny the existence of the number 11. It's so stupid it's funny. 

Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark (2017)

Trevor Noah is really good at accents and impressions. And his comedy is just the right amount of accents and politics. In another comedy special, I remember laughing very hard at his Japanese accent bit, and he diversifies this time around. His special takes you around the world in accents, and his comedy thrives on it. He does a great bit as Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. I guess you kind of have to be able to do accents to host a show like The Daily Show. His best is the African accent that most people on TV don't dare try, (a combination of the fact that it's unique on TV and Africa is his native land). But as a regular viewer of The Daily Show, I think my favorite thing about Trevor Noah is his white-people voice. It cracks me up every time. 

Amy Schumer: The Leather Special (2017)

This is very Amy Schumer, as usual. That means it's very raunchy. Nothing out of the ordinary for her. She relies heavily on her innocent sounding voice to tell very not-innocent jokes that in themselves aren't very funny if not for her sarcastic delivery. Whereas her sketch comedy show was bold and original and sometimes incisive, her stand up set was none of those things. 

I Am Not Your Negro (2016)

I am very proud of Italy for screening this film at the Cineteca di Bologna. And there was surprisingly a very good turnout. At first, we thought we must've had the wrong theater. We walked in on a silent short film featuring no black people. So we walked out and the ticket taker informed us it would start after the short.

There have been a lot of race conscious documentaries lately. But this was by far the best. It's not an easy film. If you're looking for an easy film that is clear and concise backed by institutional evidence and factual arguments, watch 13th. This movie requires you to think, about race, about America, about yourself. Using James Baldwin's writings and speeches ostensibly centered around the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers, Raoul Peck weaves together a powerful documentary. I first encountered Baldwin in sophomore year. I don't know why he isn't assigned earlier. His name should be one put up right next to MLK and Malcolm X in middle school. He is eloquent and incisive and provocative and his words have power and depth. In my studies, I have come to recognize Malcolm X for the hero that he is, as opposed to the violent radical he is depicted as in our history textbooks.

There are a lot of great ideas in Baldwin's writings. He is not particularly an optimist. It's by no means an uplifting film, but it is really thought provoking. And it is very well made and well researched. He emphasizes the importance of film and television in representation of people of color. Peck must've searched through hundreds of hours of clips to curate the ones he included in the film. And each one is chosen and cut perfectly for the line of Baldwin. The black and white graphics and the anxious music fuel the anger and disappointment. I left the theater with feelings. And it made me want to go back and read more Baldwin. I think I will.