By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic In just his second feature film, writer/director Barry Jenkins tells a compelling story about sexual repression and ambiguity through the eyes of a vulnerable and confused little boy, who grows up to question his sexual identity as a teen and then finds a thin measure of serenity as […]
Film Review: Ava DuVernay Tackles Mass Incarceration and more in “The 13th”
By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic The New York Film Festival celebrated its 54th year by trying something new. For the first time in history, its Opening Night World Premiere was a documentary. Even more noteworthy, this non-fiction film is by director Ava DuVernay (Selma) and it focuses on America’s deep problem with its […]
Film Review: The Birth of a Nation
By Dwight Brown NNPA Wire Service Film Critic Finally, a filmmaker unearths one of the biggest secrets in American history: slave revolts. It’s a lesson rarely mentioned in history books, though it’s common knowledge to anyone who has taken a Black History course. Kudos to actor-turned-director Nate Parker for shepherding this ambitious project from the […]
Film Review: Keanu
by Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic They’re 50 percent Black, 50 percent White. 100 percent Nerd. Go figure. Left to their own devices and dull lives, not a lot of excitement comes their way. Until that fateful day when a lost and forlorn kitty shows up at the door. Then all hell breaks […]
The Best Films of 2015
By Dwight Brown NNPA News Wire Film Critic Movies have become a great comfort in what has been a tumultuous year. They’ve entertained us. Made us laugh, feel courageous, scared, romantic and educated us too. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the films, performances and Black artists who made 2015 special. And might as […]
Black Artists Make Waves at 2015 Toronto International Film Festival
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic TORONTO (NNPA) – The Toronto International Film Festival has aged gracefully into its 40th year anniversary. Black directors, actors and writers have enhanced the celebratory occasion with fine performances and artistic contributions in indie films, big budget movies and life-affirming documentaries. Their work in films that are positioning themselves […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic It was a sign of the times for Black life in the ‘60s. Police brutality. Poor housing. Few job opportunities. Little chance for higher education. The response to the oppression in the South was demonstrations, sit-ins and peaceful civil disobedience. The response that bubbled to the surface in Oakland, […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Straight Outta Compton
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic Warning: This isn’t some chump change Sundance indie movie about the rap group NWA. Nor is it a should-have-gone-straight-to-DVD afterthought about hip-hop culture. This is a full-fledged, big-budget looking homage to the L.A. rap scene that smartly, emotionally and historically capsulizes the life and times of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, […]