Mank (Netflix, 2020)

Mank, the biopic of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, is a better movie than any of the films the real-life Mank wrote. 

(Except Citizen Kane, of course. It's not better than that.  .   .   . )

But yeah, everything else.

Polish up those Oscars. 

Judas And The Black Messiah (HBO Max, 2021)

As relevant now

A struggle as it was then

Just less obvious

On The Basis Of Sex

On The Basis of Sex is a good movie that's well produced and has a solid cast. Felicity Jones performs just fine as the future supreme court justice.

But, my first thought as the end-of-movie-credits rolled wasn't about the movie. And it wasn't specifically about the accomplishments of Justice Ginsburg. My thought was:

"There will never be a biopic of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. "

And that's truth, there won't be.

Because RBG is the real legal deal.

Stan & Ollie

I grew up on a healthy dose of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.

You know, Laurel & Hardy. Stan and Ollie. The "Here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" guys. (By the way, it is "nice," and not "fine," as some mistakenly quote.)

It wasn't that I wanted to watch the comedy duo. I mean, they're fine and all, but I wouldn't have scheduled my day around one of their films. Mostly I watched them because I had to. Where I grew up in the 1970s -- in south-central West Virginia -- I could pick up only a couple of channels with our TV antenna. So, I know it was either the local PBS station or WOAY that fed me fed me a healthy helping of Laurel & Hardy shorts, hours of The Three Stooges, episodes of the Little Rascals, and a bunch of western serials.

I liked the Stooges best. But Laurel & Hardy were a close second.

Most interesting to me about Laurel & Hardy was the absurdity of their symmetry. The two characters are strikingly different, especially in their physical presentation, yet they often mirrored each other in movement. And they did this with impeccable timing and precision.

Watching them was like watching a ballet (but without the tutus.)

Directed by Jon S. Baird and starring Steve Coogan (Stan) and John C. Reilly (Ollie), Stan & Ollie tells the dramatic story of legends coming to understand their careers are ending. It's difficult for both men to process, and for most of the film they refuse to try. The duo go out on a playhouse tour and push themselves physically and emotionally day after day; not for vanity, it seems, but to remain relevant.

Coogan and Reilly are terrific in their roles. Each seems to channel his character, and both show a wide emotional range during the story arc.

You don't have to know about or even like Laurel & Hardy to enjoy this flick. It is poignant without being sentimental.

Oliver Hardy: "I'll miss us when we're gone."
Stan Laurel: "So will you."

Harriet

So, I know I went to History classes. All through junior high, high school, and my freshman year in college.  I listened, honestly. I really, really like History.

But, here are some things I didn't know that I learned from Kasi Lemmons' Harriet.

1. Mrs. Tubman's birth name was Araminta "Minty" Ross;

2. Minty was initially married to freedman John Tubman;

3. Minty's family was promised its freedom two generations before, but the current slave owner refused to abide by that agreement;

4. Mrs. Tubman took the name "Harriet" to honor her mother, and the surname "Tubman" to honor her husband. (Although when she made that name change is unclear.);

5. Mrs. Tubman made thirteen trips between the south and north, and personally freed 70 slaves while working with the Undergrounds Railroad. I was astounded to learn this; honestly, I always presumed she stayed in the north and facilitated Railroad efforts from a headquarters;

6. She carried, and used, guns in her work;

6. During the Civil War, Mrs. Tubman worked as a Union spy and led a squad of black soldiers who freed 750 slaves.

All true, I double checked. And Mrs. Tubman did much, much more that simply could not be presented in the movie for the sake of time and plot.

Like many biopics, Harriet feels a little rushed. But in fairness to Lemmon' script and direction, there was so much real-life material the script had to be focused and condensed. Unlike many biopics, Harriet is a story of transformation: we're watching a true-to-life legend change from Minty the slave to Harriet the freedwoman to Moses the emancipator to Mrs. Tubman the social justice warrior.

Cynthia Erivo, nominated for an Academy Award for her performance (and I predict she will win) is remarkable in the lead role. She's required to demonstrate subtleness and fierceness, fear and strength. And she does each with authenticity and skill.

I say it's time to ditch whatever history books a mostly white society creates and sells to a nation of mostly white teachers who teach mostly white students. Let's start using the biopic Harriet as an introduction to all students about Mrs. Tubman and how she changed the world.