American Fiction
Would you trade your soul for $750000, what about $4 million. That the position Jeffrey Wright finds himself in, in this sometimes heartbreaking story of a down trodden novelist who hasn't sold a book for years.
Whilst Issa Raes' Sinatra Golden, is getting standing ovations for filling her book with black tropes, he has been wasting away as a professor on the verge of a mental breakdown. His latest novel not being sold, because it doesn't fit in with what the white publishers think a black person should be writing.
Frustration overflows when he finds his books in the African American history section of a book store, he shouts at the unassuming employee : "The only black thing about this book is the ink."
He arrives at home perhaps at just the right time, for him self and his family. Finding himself suddenly being responsible for his sick mother's care. He decides to give into the lowest common denominator, in part to cover the cost of his mothers care, and in part to expose the hypocrisy of the white establishment. Writing the book the people, at least the white people, want from a black writer,
The scenes with the characters from his book pausing to ask Munk what they should say next, as Munk types their dialogue, is extremely well done. Im surprised its never been done before. The two actors almost do too well of a job portraying the fictional characters that are supposed to be just bad stereotypes.
Jeffrey Wright excels. From grumpy professor at the beginning to growling at the white girl, who is more offended by the N word on the board than any other black person in the room. He bounces off his sister, the chemistry between the two electric. He is tender and kind with his mother who is slowly deteriorating. Histerically awkward, pretending to be Black person from the hood on the phone to a white publisher.
Sterling K. Brown, plays the brother, who is done hiding himself from his family, and wants to be loved for his whole self, advice he tries to parts to Monk.
Monks book, intended to satire how black people are portrayed in the media, becomes a bestselling hit. Instead it is devoured by white people as an in depth look into the lives of suppressed black men in America. This, despite Monks best efforts to make it unpublishable, by giving it an obscene title. To his disgust even his new girlfriend has a copy and is enjoying it.
He finds himself judging the book he wrote under a alias, along with fellow judge Issa Rae, for a literary competition. They both have a discussion on how black people are protrayed and represent themselves in culture. Monk adament that there is more to the black persons story in America than just their history. In the end it is the white judges who decided what they want to see. The two black judges, put on the panel to promote diversity, having their view about the black novel dismissed.
Two supporting actors steal the show. Monks agent Arthur, played by John Ortiz, has some of the best lines. When Jeffrey Wright, dresses in a casual t- shirt and chinos arrives to meet a potential producer of the film of the book, he asks:
Arthur : What is this? I told you to dress street.
Monk: I did!
Arthur : F***g Sesame Street
And the Monks family maid, Lorraine. Who having looked after the family for decades, finally finds love with the local police officer. Her telling Monk and his girlfriend that she's about to get married is the most endearing scenes in the movie.
The film ends in a vague way, with Monk revealing himself as being the actually writer of the book. But it also is revealed as him pitching the idea of the movie we are watching as the viewer, to the producer. It falls a bit flat.
In the end, black or white, American Fictions shows we are all slaves to the all mighty dollar, and it's difficult for us to hold fast true to our values when it counts.
