Unofficial Academy Awards Discussion Board

This was very well-acted, intelligently written, and, considering the limitation of a mostly one-set show, directed with enough visual variety. But for this to be viewed as one of the year's best movies tells me it's a field so limp as to not be worth taking seriously. This is really just an anecdote -- nothing momentous emerges as a result of the evening, unless you view Sam Cooke releasing "Change is Gonna Come" as a major event in anyone's life. It's pleasant to watch, and feels true to life, but it's just an actor's vehicle, and a tiny one, at that.

I, like Sabin, found Malcolm X the most interesting character, largely because this film took a very different approach from Spike Lee's film. With Denzel in the role, Malcolm couldn't help but come across as some messianic prophet. As Ben-Adir plays him, he's a borderline nerd, with glasses to match. The caricature of Malcolm that was swallowed by many whites at the time was of a fearsome, threatening radical. This film makes the case that, to his black friends, he was a noodge: the guy who kept reminding them they weren't doing enough, that nothing was going to change if they glided through life and didn't take risks. The fact that these three companions did take life-steps (however small) following this night gives the film whatever propulsion it has.

I still don't think it amounts to that much, which the film seems to understand: an end-card brings up Malcolm's murder the following year in a seeming attempt to lend retroactive gravitas. (I note they stayed away from Sam Cooke's even-earlier death; it's hard to fit that into any noble story.)

I don't want to come down hard on the film. As I say, it's well done, and I could be fine with acting nominations for, especially, Ben-Adir and Leslie Odom Jr. (for both performance and song). It's just, to me, symbolic of a year where second-tier efforts are being moved up to the main stage because the competition was unavoidably thin.

Sabin wrote:For me, I'm a Film Independent member. This is how they do screenings in 2020.

Same here.

For me, I'm a Film Independent member. This is how they do screenings in 2020.

How are you guys seeing this movie? Screeners?

I enjoyed this as well, although it feels a bit more like an excellent chapter of a limited series than a stand alone film.

For me, the standout was Kingsley Ben-Adir. There is no lead in this film, but it’s possible to make the case that if it’s anyone it’s him because his arc is the only one that evolves throughout the film. I think they’re all supporting and he should be positioned as such. His Malcolm X is the closest I’ve felt to the figure on-screen in any of his different incarnations.

I got a chance to see this film last night and figured that it deserved its own thread since I think it is going to be a major Oscar player.

I tend not to be bothered by the "it's just a filmed play" complaint (probably the theatre major and director in me), so I won't get into that. I found the film enthralling. It does spend a lot of time with the four main characters talking, mostly around a single motel, but that dialogue is really wonderful and the four performances completely engaging. Each of them captures enough of the figure to make it believable, but none of them feel like imitations (although Eli Gorree's Cassius Clay borders on it sometimes) and is a fully realized character. There is a lot of just debating and arguing, and at times it feels like a counter to films such as Green Book -- this is a film by a black woman about the debates around what duty black celebrities have and the burden that they carry. Regina King also does a lot to move the camera and capture those debates in an interesting way. This film looks gorgeous and is an assured debut.

As for Oscar contention, this is going to be a real contender. The category placement is probably correct, as much of the film is about the relationship between Malcolm X and Cassius Clay, and Cooke and Brown take a backseat at several points (although the Cooke and Malcolm X relationship ends up being the most interesting). I think Odom Jr. is most certainly getting a double nomination, and his performance is fantastic. Ben-Adair should compete in Best Actor -- he takes on a really demanding challenge, following in some big footsteps as Malcolm X -- and is magnetic) but might get lost in a category of bigger names. Picture and Director seem guaranteed to me, especially with as popular as King is in Hollywood, along with Supporting Actor, and Screenplay and Song seem like pretty sure bets too. I wouldn't be surprised to see Editing, Production Design, or even Cinematography. With all of that love for a film that plays really well on a TV set, and a film that I would bet most people will be positive about, this could be our Best Picture winner in a very weird year.

This should also be a strong contender for SAG Ensemble -- not only the central four but a broader ensemble of great smaller performances by familiar faces.