theblackactor.com

Dissecting Halle - Introduction

What kind of “black actor” blog would this be if I didn’t talk about… the ubiquitous Halle Berry, who –- and I think it is safe to say -– is the most popular black actress in the world.

Why? Oh, I think in large part if not entirely it is because of her stunning beauty. But, whatever. That’s not what I’m discussing.

I will begin a series on Halle Berry, one pic at a time.  And at the end of the series, I will summarize my thoughts about Halle Berry.

I like Halle Berry for some reason (I mean, personally, even though I don’t know her). She seems friendly and poised in interviews; genuine; warm; just likeable. I’m actually very happy she’s a mommy now. I really am. I know she wanted that.  Congratulations, Halle Berry.

But… as an actress… well, all I will say is…

I think Halle Berry is a fair actress.

There’s more to say and I’ll say it at the completion of the series. I’m going to examine her onscreen work. And in the end, maybe I will feel she is a better or worse actress than I thought.

Okay, I’ll say one more thing; consistency. Okay, that’s it.

In her place as the most popular black actress in the world, Halle Berry's work deserves scrutiny. 

I’m not highlighting her work in any particular order.

Let’s look at her, guys… really look at her.

The series will begin with next week’s posting. (Yeah, looks like I’m down to one per week).  :(

Jeffrey Wright

Here is a guy who is exciting and delightful to watch. I have watched some of his work, not all of it. I am impressed with Jeffrey Wright but saddened that I don’t seem to see enough of him.

Recently, we conducted a poll on theblackactor.com and the question was, “Who do you think challenges themselves the most as an actor?”  Jeffrey Wright was the winner of our poll. The results:

103 people voted.    

The winner - Jeffrey Wright – with 57% of the vote.
Second place – Denzel Washington – with 32% of the vote.
Third place – Morgan Freeman – with 10% of the vote.    

(Don’t ask.  I don’t know what happened to the other 1%.  LOL)

Mr. Wright is respected in the industry and is the winner of a Tony Award (1994, Best Actor in a Featured Role -- Angels in America, Broadway stage play), a 2004 Emmy Award and a 2004 Golden Globe Award -- both for Best Supporting Actor for the HBO series, Angels in America.

He is so versatile and enjoyable to watch because of his ability to transform from one character to the next. Like other good actors, he uses voice and makeup to his advantage. He transforms completely. When in makeup, he doesn’t just look like Jeffrey Wright with long sideburns, or Jeffrey Wright clean-shaven, or Jeffrey Wright with a thin moustache, etc. He is able to physically transform into different people. And he acts like different people. This is what I expect actors to do -- be different people. 

Just because someone can transform and is willing to transform completely into character doesn’t mean they are effective. I think Wright is effective.

As I’ve mentioned before, some things that set apart good, average or bad actors is their use of voice and the use of their eyes.  Also, Wright, like the other good actors, also understands when silence works best.

Basquiat (1996).  Wright had a starring role in this film. The quietly constrained, intense performance likely required a sustained level of concentration. I thought his performance was seductive. The role was physically demanding –- the way he walked; the energy required for that ongoing, persistent gaze; the motion of his hands. Good voice work. Excellent all-around portrayal. I thought this was likely a challenging role.

Celebrity (1998).  Jeffrey Wright shows up at the end of this Woody Allen film as Greg, an off-off Broadway director. He looked and sounded like what I would imagine such a person to look and sound like. In my view,  we see good voice work and realistic characterization in this performance, though his appearance in the film was brief. Too brief.  {sigh}

Shaft (2000).  I liked him enough in this role (a tad “over the top,” perhaps). I thought the Dominican accent was poorly executed -- rather thick... distracting and contrived. Interestingly, he was cast as a Latin. His voice was noticeably deeper than it was in Basquiet.

Boycott (TV) (2001).  I found Jeffrey Wright very believable as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It’s challenging to play these kinds of roles, impersonating historic figures.  It was a portrayal he should be proud of. I say again, worth noting, is his voice work. He had a couple of romantic moments. He played those scenes with a notable tenderness. Maybe he wasn’t acting. He was married to the actress who played Coretta Scott King (actress Carla Ebiola). I thought he was very good in this starring television role.

Ali (2001).  He played Ali’s personal photographer, Howard Bingham. God. When Jeffrey Wright’s talent is not used like it is supposed to be used, it’s just a waste. It was a small part. I’m glad it was his. Nevertheless, it’s always disappointing to see actors of his caliber whose talent is used sub-optimally. I was a bit disappointed.  Just seemed like a terrible waste of talent.  {*** sigh ***}

The Manchurian Candidate (2004).  In this film, Jeffrey Wright played a mentally disturbed Desert Storm vet; likely suffering from some sort of PTSD.  During his “main scene” in the film, he appeared shockingly haggard; scraggly beard and all.  This was not a starring role for him.  But another challenging -- albeit, small -- role for Jeffrey Wright.  Again, his ability to manage his voice as necessary is worth noting.

Lackawana Blues (TV) (2005).  A small role of a convicted murderer. In it, he explains to a child why he was in jail. Exposition. Well done in typical Jeffrey Wright style. (I particularly liked this TV pic. I thought it was very well done).

Syriana (2005).  Jeffrey Wright portrayed lawyer, Bennett Holiday. Er, I guess he was fine in the role. He must’ve been. I hated didn’t like this film since there were 4,297,558 things going on in 6,924,222 places.

Casino Royale (2006).  He played CIA agent Felix Leiter. He had a very small part in the film.

The only problem with Jeffrey Wright? There’s never enough of him. He usually gets so little screen time. He is so underutilized. As I was preparing this article, all I could say was, “God, there just isn’t enough of him.” Most of the time he is not a lead. I wish I could see more of him. Wah Wah Wah. “They” -- the directors, casting agents, producers, etc. just don’t get it. They’re allowing this amazing talent to get away.

On the other hand, he is a consistently working actor, as he should be. I’m very pleased that he is. He ain’t dead yet. Maybe someone will “discover” him and utilize this fine actor’s talent. I can only hope so.

Any complaint about Jeffrey Wright? No; nothing worth mentioning. Sometimes he has this stare thing going on, but besides that, I enjoy watching him. 

He’s got four films in the pipeline -- a few of them, starring roles. Goody. I’m looking forward to seeing his new work and his critically-acclaimed work in HBO’s Angels in America, which I’ve not seen.

I actually believe his time will come and they will no longer be able to ignore him.

I do.

Anybody Know Which Movie This Is?

My previous article, Do Black Guys Die First?,reminded me of this question.

This has been bugging me since the beginning of the blog. I wanted to talk about this but for the life of me, I can’t remember the movie.

All I remember is this…

There was a black man (I can’t remember the actor but he may have been dark-skinned).  Anyway, this man was working in tandem with another man or a group.  They were trying to kill or harm a white woman (I can’t remember the actress).  They may have been trying to kill her husband, too.  I remember she was pregnant and had a broken leg (and used a crutch, if I’m not mistaken). The sequence in question was astounding. Miraculously, single-handedly, she was able to overtake him and murder him. I do believe he was armed... with a knife, perhaps?

It was so preposterous, it was laughable.  :)

For Godssakes, does anybody know this gotdam movie?

Thanks.

BTW – I will be posting this week.  :)

Where You Goin'?

In…

I’M GOIN’ IN!

Ah… the fearless white male.

I can’t say how many times I’ve heard the cliché line, “I’M GOIN’ IN.”  But, trust me, its been lots of times.

One of the reasons this blog was conceived was because of some of the disturbing images in film I have observed over the years. Naturally, during those viewings, I wasn’t exactly sitting down with a pen and pad. 

Now that I publish the blog, I am trying to recall some of the films that I’ve seen which contain various unpalatable images. This article discusses, in particular, the utterance of the ubiquitous, sanguine decree, “I’m goin’ in!”  Because my memory fails me, I am unable to present specific examples of films in which I’ve heard this.  Can you?

That damn fearless white male, again. LMAO. Of course, as you know, I’ve touched on these matters before. See the White Way category. 

“I’m goin’ in!” is a decidedly overused phrase –- so much so that sometimes, in anticipation of the actor speaking the words, my friend and I actually voice the words before the actor does. I think there was a time or two when we hit it on the mark... when that archetype of the grand species whitis malis actually said the words after we did! But often, we just say the phrase, even when the actor doesn’t. The other recurrent pattern is when instead of voicing the words, the actor executes the action instead.

Are you guys aware of the frequency with which the white male hero character utters these words? Have you ever noticed it? It’s quite common, actually. 

The prevailing attitude and underlying message is, “Bring it on. No problem. Whitis Malis can handle it. Soooooooooo…

• Open the door – even though a 200 foot tidal wave awaits you
• Turn the corner – even though there are 4,238 people shooting, armed with Uzis
• Jump into the water – even though it’s shark-infested
• Enter the room – even though it’s filled with poisonous gas and you have no mask
• Run into that building – that flame-filled, smoke-filled building
• Crawl through that air conditioner shaft…

ROTFLMAO

Didn’t Jason Patric repeat the cliché in Speed 2:  Cruise Control (1997)? I don’t remember where he was going, but he was “goin’ in” to save the world… okay not the world -– the people on the ship. But still. And of course, he saved them.

Am I hallucinating or did George Clooney or someone else say it in The Perfect Storm (2000)?

Ah… the forever fearless… triumphing in spite of the odds… courage… bravery… confidence… unswayed… decisive…  determined…

Martyrs. LOL. No, that’s not true really. It would imply suffering. These dudes don’t even break a sweat. And that’s part of the point of this article. Not only are they completely unafraid, but when they do “go in,” once they’re “in” it all goes so smoothly. No scratches. No sweats. No trembling in terror. No inability to breathe. No racing heartbeat. No knees buckling. No tears. No second guessing.

ROTFLMAO.  :)

Image, y’all. Image.

And so there she is, that 8-year-old Japanese girl in Tokyo –- marveling at the manliness of the American whitis malis. Yes. Yes. She marvels. And she probably still marvels when she is 15 and 20 and 35. But that’s another story.

Anyway, can you think of at least one movie in which whitis malis says, “I’m goin’ in”? I’d love to get a list going.

Tonight's Scheduled Podcast

Hi erbody...

Tonight's Podcast has been cancelled.  Have a good day.

*** ANNOUNCEMENT Y'ALL *** Me, too

Funny thing happened yesterday:

    

I was driving along and my thoughts about my blogging activities were rolling into one basic thought. I had been contemplating and experiencing angst about my impending decision for about 4 or 5 days – and have been “concerned” for the last two weeks or so.

 

Friday night I was struggling, but starting to lean in a certain direction.

    

Anyhoo, when I was driving I was saying to myself, “Self, I may need to throw a note on the blog:  “On temporary hiatus for a week or two,” or something along those lines.

    

The thought passed… temporarily, only to return Saturday evening.

 

It was funny... coincidental, really; because I went to The Obenson Report Saturday night – just to check it out and to my surprise, saw his announcement, telling us he was placing his blog on hiatus so that he could pursue film projects. I had to laugh. And I sent him an e-mail advising him I was contemplating the same very thing and would decide on Sunday. I told him I was not copycatting. LOL.

    

I have decided. 

    

My blog will be on hiatus as well – and I expect a decrease in my blog-related activities.

    

Why?

    

First and foremost…

 

Pssst.  Don’t tell anyone.  Much of my blogging/blog-related activities takes place during my downtime at work.  There will be no more of that, anytime soon. I have taken on a new role at my job. Things will be different and my stolen moments will be few – at least for the forseeable future. Additionally, for the next few weeks, I will be working hours outside my normal assigned hours. Later on, the amount of hours I work may change altogether. I don’t know yet. My new role begins Monday, March 3.

 

Secondly, even had this not happened, I am looking at reorganizing my pririoties. This blog and this topic is one of several interests of mine. There are other matters that are coming to the forefront; pressing matters which require my attention. Blogging must always be enjoyable for me. Otherwise, I won’t do it. I don’t want to feel like I’m “squeezing it in.” If I did that, you’d notice; definitely.

 

What does this all mean?

 

It means I will be away for 7 – 10 days. Will I be back? Yes; definitely. In a reduced capacity?  Perhaps.

 

One of the things I’ve been struggling with is posting frequency as many of you may know from my previous post. I said then that I was committed to posting 3 or 4 times per week.  Er, I’m thinking it will be more like two.

    

The risk is that people will not come back to this blog.  I’ve considered this.  I hope that doesn't happen.  But it might.  But it is a risk I must take because, at the end of the day, I recognize I can only give what I can give – even though I derive enormous satisfaction from the readers who comment on this blog and the small community we have established here.  I love it, really.  I do.

 

In a perfect world, there would be no day job and I could reeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaallly talk about and delive into things the way I thought I could when the blog was conceived (what was I thinking?  LOL) but time limitations do not permit this.  

    

There is much to say on my blog. And I intend to say it; but sloooooooooooooooower. And one thing I will not do here – in fact I’d shut it down first – is post bulsh*t just to say I have posted today.

    

So, for those who still visit, I will still try to present thoughtful posts on the topics relative to black cinema; topics, which I still hope our small community here will continue to discuss.

    

I hope you guys understand.

    

Actually, this was a difficult decision for me for several reasons, but it was a decision that had to be made.

    

Thanks, lovebugs. I'll miss you.

 

    

Me

 

 

    

P.S. - Even with all that said, it's hard to imagine not posting anything for that length of time.  If possible, I will prepare an article or two.  Dunno.  :)

 

 

CATCH ME ON THE OBENSON REPORT PODCAST Monday, March 3 at 9:00 p.m.  I, along with Qadree of Culture Critical, will be talking with Tambay about the definition of a black film.  I don’t know what we’ll say, but we’ll be talking about it..

 

    

One more thing: I will still be interacting with those who comment on the blog while I'm not posting.  I will still be reading e-mails, as well.