Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix, 2020)

Set in Chicago in the 1920s, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom allows the audience to eavesdrop on a group of African American musicians as they prepare to record a song that will make a lot of money for some white people. 

We hang out in the basement and meet the band -- Cutler, Toledo, Levee, and Slow Drag -- as they talk about their past experiences and their dreams of the future. We watch Ma Rainey use the only power she has -- withholding her singing voice -- to bully her white managers until she get what she wants. And we watch those managers do her bidding, no matter how much she frustrates them, because they know a little frustration now will lead to a big payday for them later. 

Even though this movie is set in the 1920s and is based on a play written by August Wilson more than 35 years ago, the themes explored strongly resonate today. Despite a growing diversity in our society, whites today hold power and the privilege that comes with it. If black people have some power to wield, it's because whites recognized that it benefited whites and allowed it to happen. 

Temporarily. 

The audience witness the characters in Black Bottom recognize that truth, and sympathize with each as he or she struggles to deal with it. 

Viola Davis is wonderful in the supporting role of Ma Rainey. Ma's hard to like -- she's a bully, and she comes off as selfish and arrogant. But Davis pulls back the curtain to let the audience in on how and why she behaves that way, which makes her relatable to the viewer. The star of the film is Chadwick Boseman. His turn as Levee is his final performance before dying from colon cancer in August, 2020. 

This role may well have been his finest. 

Levee is ambitious but filled with rage about how he's treated in a white majority society. He has a right to be: he's lived a hard 32 years of second class citizenry, and he's seen more than his share of race-based violence and tragedy. Unlike Ma, who makes a lot of money for white men in the recording business, Levee has no power. The rage he feels about his lack of standing grows until it explodes in the next-to-last scene of the movie.

Black Bottom explores the desire for equality and opportunity in our American society. Ma weaponizes it so that she doesn't lose it. Others keep their heads down and adopt an attitude of "that's just the way it is," so that they can earn a living. Some act out against that reality, and suffer tragedy as a result.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a well crafted, well acted drama that will get some Oscar buzz whenever the post-pandemic Oscar buzz happens. And the buzz will be well deserved. 

The Oscars: 2015 Predictions

2014 was a stellar year for cinema. There was artistry (Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel), thrilling action (American Sniper), and emotion (Selma, The Theory of Everything).  Movie fare was so good, in fact, it inspired The Film Geek to talk about flicks again on his blog.

A blog in 2015? You mean, it's possible to comment on topics with more than 140 letter characters?

The 87th Academy Awards will be held tonight, and I'll be watching. Hell, we'll all be watching, because it was that good of a year in film. Here are Predictions From The Film Geek:

Best Picture:  Boyhood. The phenomenal success of the movie makes me wanna predict American Sniper as the winner in this category. But I'm going with Boyhood. Richard Linklater's film is an historical achievement: a compelling story told with beautiful simplicity.

Best Director:  Richard Linklater. For Boyhood, Linklater was forced to direct actors during various times of their lives, a task more complicated that it might sound.  During the 12-years of filming, each actor underwent physical, emotional, and psychological changes --Ellar Coletrain at six years of age needs  different direction than Ellar Coletrain at eighteen. These changes undoubtedly required direction to be constantly re-invented.

Best Male Actor: Eddie Redmayne. Bradley Cooper shocked me with his uncanny performance in American Sniper. He could play spoiler in this category. But Redmayne's performance in The Theory of Everything was spirited, subtle, and complex. That's the exact formula for an Academy Award win.

Best Female Actor: Julianne Moore. I haven't yet seen Still Alice, but I would never bet against Moore any time she's on the list. She is a force.

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Edward Norton. Norton's work was the best part of Birdman, in my opinion. At least it was the only part of the film I enjoyed.

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Patricia Arquette. She's head and shoulders above everyone else listed in this category.