Rustin

 

Rustin-Netflix

Rustin is a biographical drama about Bayard Rustin, the main organizer of the 1963 March on Washington. He was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was openly gay which caused friction with the other prominent civil rights leaders. He was a brilliant civil rights organizer who was not deterred by bigotry. His burden was greater because he was gay. In the ’50s and ’60s being black and gay was a perilous proposition.

Colman Domingo, as Rustin, gives a remarkable performance. He imbues his character with energy and passion. He is self-confident to the annoyance of the civil rights giants. He portrays Rustin as a fast talker and problem solver. Domingo, who is gay, handles the intimate scenes with passion and is hurt when a lover goes back to being husband and father.

Jeffrey Wright is Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He is way over the top and loves it. The man can strut in his chair. Wright is as slick as the real Powell and his arrogance is accurate. He is Rustin’s nemesis and Wright projects Powell as self-dealing and duplicitous.

Aml Ameen is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The resemblance is uncanny. He portrays King as a leader who has to manage conflicting opinions from the other leaders. He is a close friend of Rustin and their friendship is stressed by the anti-gay prejudice of the time.  

Chris Rock is Roy Williams. With a mop of grey hair, you almost feel he is going to burst out in his trademark jokes; he barely contains himself. He portrays Williams as a serious leader and not amicable to Rustin in the beginning. They say comics make good actors because of their timing and Rock does not disappoint.

The rest of the cast is fabulous. This is an important story and brings Rustin from behind the curtain of history. I am not sure if Rustin will be nominated for Best Picture but if Domingo is not nominated for Best Actor that would be a terrible snub.

 

 

 

The Holdovers

 

The Holdovers-Prime

There must be a special place in hell for people who make deceptive trailer ads. The trailer makes the film appear humorous and warm hearted. For the most part, it is not. The Holdovers is not humorous. There are sad stories and the road to redemption is bumpy and painful.

 Paul Giamatti is Paul Hunham a curmudgeon ancient history teacher whom his students and peers dislike.  He cycles through various levels of curmudgeonhood in the film. Sympathy for him is gained after tales of his misery. He is a sad and lonely person.

Dominic Sessa is Angus Tully the holdover student Giamatti has to babysit. He has a sad backstory that would make Tiny Tim cry. In this formula plot, they deeply dislike each other and over the course of the film they defrost. Eventually, Giamatti and Sessa form a friendship/ allegiance to fend off their adversaries. The bond they achieve traverses rocky terrain.

Da’ Vine Joy Randolph is the head cook Mary. She has a deeply sad story herself that has nothing to do with Hunham and Tully. Sadness is their bond. Her main role is to humanize Hunham.

The acting is well done and they portray their characters well. For all the sadness you would expect more happiness and joy. It is a Christmas movie after all.