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Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

DollEyes

By DollEyes
in Movies

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DollEyes

DollEyes

(edited)

Here's the thread for Judas and the Black Messiah, which is based on the true story of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers and set for in-theater release next year, their leader Fred Hampton and his right hand man William O'Neill, played by Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, respectively. Basically, the film is, among other things, a mini Get Out reunion.

On a serious note, if the trailer is any indication, Kaluuya and Stanfield are not only at the top of their games, they and the movie  could/should be serious Oscar contenders. The subject matter makes it all too relevant. The film is directed by Shaka King, made by LeBron James' production company and produced by Ryan Coogler, whose last movie about a Black Panther turned out pretty good, IMO.

Edited by DollEyes
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DollEyes

DollEyes

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Plus, Fred Hampton Jr. approved Kaluuya's casting, which is good enough for me.

  As far as I'm concerned, if  Irishman Daniel Day-Lewis can win an Oscar for playing Abraham Lincoln, then Daniel Kaluuya can win one for playing Fred Hampton.

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DollEyes

DollEyes

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Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield are on their own covers for the new issue of Entertainment Weekly.

  Judas and the Black Messiah debuts on HBO Max Friday, February 12th, before its official theatrical release.

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Empress1

Empress1

On 2/12/2021 at 6:27 PM, AimingforYoko said:

Obviously Stanfield and Kaluuya have the showier performances (and both kill their roles), but don't sleep on Dominique Fishback as Deborah Johnson, Fred's girlfriend. In a much quieter role, she damn near steals the movie.

The moment when Fred is released from jail and hugs her and he realizes she's pregnant is so good. He realizes it, she sees him realize it and shows him her stomach, she's uncertain about how he'll feel about it, and when he smiles, she's so relieved and happy. Neither of them says a word.

Also her face when the agent says Fred is dead is harrowing. I know her work from The Deuce on HBO, and IMO she's one to watch.

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Milburn Stone

Milburn Stone

I was alive when it happened. In fact, when I came to Chicago at the tender age of 21 in 1971, it felt like the execution of Fred Hampton was still happening here, even though it was two years before. Partly the reason the event felt so current in 71 is that the state's attorney in charge of the raid, Ed Hanrahan, was still state's attorney. Then he ran for mayor a couple of times.

I remember, as a young white guy, basically thinking "wow, those Panthers must have been really dangerous. Sounds like the authorities broke some rules, but they must have had a good reason for doing what they did."

The movie might not be a perfectly truthful history, but basically, on a scale of 100, I feel like l went from about a 5 to about a 95 in my understanding.

 

 

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Inquisitionist

Inquisitionist

On 2/22/2021 at 5:18 PM, Milburn Stone said:

The movie might not be a perfectly truthful history, but basically, on a scale of 100, I feel like l went from about a 5 to about a 95 in my understanding.

I hope I can get Mr. Inqui to watch this with me.  He grew up in Chicago and later majored in political science at UIC.  Though a bit younger than you, he has a visceral connection to these events and it's therefore sometimes hard for him to watch movie depictions.  But I would love to get his perspective, so I'll work on it!

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Producers Guild of America nomination!

Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” (Amazon Studios)
Producers: Sacha Baron Cohen, Monica Levinson, Anthony Hines

“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros)
Producers: Charles D. King, Ryan Coogler, Shaka King

“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (Netflix)
Producers: Denzel Washington, Todd Black

“Mank” (Netflix)
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Eric Roth, Douglas Urbanski

“Minari” (A24)
Producer: Christina Oh

“Nomadland” (Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Chloé Zhao

“One Night in Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Producers: Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Jody Klein

“Promising Young Woman” (Focus Features)
Producers: Josey McNamara, Ben Browning, Ashley Fox, Emerald Fennell

“Sound of Metal” (Amazon Studios)
Producers: Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche

“The Trial of the Chicago 7” (Netflix)
Producers: Marc Platt, Stuart Besser

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

(edited)

BAFTA nominations!

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
NIAMH ALGAR Calm With Horses
KOSAR ALI Rocks
MARIA BAKALOVA Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK Judas and the Black Messiah
ASHLEY MADEKWE County Lines
YUH-JUNG YOUN Minari

SUPPORTING ACTOR
DANIEL KALUUYA Judas and the Black Messiah
BARRY KEOGHAN Calm With Horses
ALAN KIM Minari
LESLIE ODOM JR. One Night in Miami…
CLARKE PETERS Da 5 Bloods
PAUL RACI Sound of Metal

Edited by ElectricBoogaloo
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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Oscar nominations!

Best Picture
“The Father”
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Mank”
“Minari”
“Nomadland”
“Promising Young Woman”
“Sound of Metal”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″

Best Supporting Actor
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

Best Original Screenplay
Will Berson, Shaka King, Keith Lucas, and Kenny Lucas (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari”)
Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”)
Derek Cianfrance, Abraham Marder, Darius Marder (“Sound of Metal”)
Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Best Cinematography
Sean Bobbitt (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Erik Messerschmidt (“Mank”)
Dariusz Wolski (“News of the World”)
Joshua James Richards (“Nomadland”)
Phedon Papamichael (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)

Best Original Song
“Fight For You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah”
“Hear My Voice” from “The Trial of the Chicago 7”
“Husavik” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga”
“lo Sì (Seen)” from “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)”
“Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami”

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Inquisitionist

Inquisitionist

3 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Best Supporting Actor
Sacha Baron Cohen (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”)
Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)
Leslie Odom Jr. (“One Night in Miami”)
Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”)
Lakeith Stanfield (“Judas and the Black Messiah”)

 

Who are Kaluuya and Stanfield supporting in JatBM?

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DollEyes

DollEyes

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(edited)

My verdict: WOW! Judas and the Black Messiah was incredible! Everything about it was pitch perfect, whether it was the acting, the writing, the costumes, the cinematography, the music or Shaka King's direction.

As Fred Hampton, Daniel Kaluuya was incendiary. I knew that Kaluuya's performance by would be great based on the trailer, but seeing it in the movie on HBO Max was even more amazing. Hampton was a not only a man way ahead of his time, IMO he was another "hidden figure," as in a person of color who made positive contributions to history but whose accomplishments were largely ignored for decades. That Hampton gave so much to the world and could've given even more makes his assassination even more tragic. As for another British actor playing an American civil rights icon, so what? If they're as talented as Kaluuya is, I don't care if they come from Mars.

    As Willie O'Neill, Lakeith Stanfield is another standout. His O'Neill was as selfish and delusional as Hampton was dedicated and visionary. O'Neill was never the man that Hampton was, as his betrayal and his attempts to justify it proved. Hampton wasn't "perfect," but he was a great man; O'Neill was the exact opposite.

  Dominique Fishback and Jesse Plemons were equally awesome, in their own ways. Plemons gave depth to what could've been a one-dimensional role as O'Neill's FBI handler. As Deborah, Dominique was shy in some moments and strong in others, proving that she's much more than just Hampton's baby mama. My favorite Deborah scene was when she was arrested moments after Hampton's assassination and she wouldn't cry in front of the cops because she didn't want to give them the satisfaction.

 About the Oscar nominations, while they're all well-deserved, my theory about why Kaluuya and Stanfield were nominated in the same category is that though Stanfield deserves a Best Actor nomination, the Motion Picture Academy didn't want to risk another Black actor competing with the late, great Chadwick Boseman, so they put him in the Supporting Actor category. Before, the SA category was Kaluuya's to lose, but now Stanfield's presence might split the vote, which could cost Kaluuya the Oscar.

  Speaking of Kaluuya, he's hosting the April 3rd episode of SNL and Stanfield's on the cover of and featured in the 2021 Vanity Fair Hollywood issue.

 

Edited by DollEyes
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Simon Boccanegra

Simon Boccanegra

I'm not going to claim I was falling asleep (and if I had been, that would probably have more to do with my own sleep cycles than with the film's quality), but I did think this dragged badly and that its nominations for Picture and Screenplay would have been better bestowed elsewhere. It was trying to do a few things -- tell an undercover story with all the familiar perilous scenes where the guy is on the cusp of being found out; educate the audience about the history of the Black Panthers and the FBI's war on them; tell a love story; delineate a complex friend/betrayer relationship involving Hampton and O'Neal, and make the case that O'Neal was a "Judas" before he even met Hampton -- and I didn't think it did any one of them very well. It's a lumpy, undercooked movie with an especially punishing third quarter. When the onscreen text at the end of the movie is more interesting than most of the scenes, it's not a good sign.   

Stanfield and Plemons were quite good. I've liked Kaluuya in other movies, such as Sicario and Widows, but I didn't think the screenplay created a well-drawn character for him here. The casting of Sheen and his ostentatious physical transformation were more distracting than effective, although I think I know what they were trying for (that familiar voice of white rectitude, e.g., Presidents Bartlet and Kennedy on television, as an historically nefarious character).  

It's more primer than drama. At that level, neither terrible nor great.

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Spartan Girl

Spartan Girl

Watched it this weekend and Daniel deserves all the awards he's going to get.

What happened to Fred was horrifying. Couldn't help but draw parallels to a similar event from this last year, and I think you all know exactly what I'm talking about. I'll leave it at that. 

No sympathy for Bill from me. Even though the Feds extorted him, it was obvious he knew what he was doing was wrong, and that interview at the end where he tried to justify it made me sick to my stomach. He killed himself because he couldn't live with the guilt anymore? GOOD. Let God judge him.

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

Costume Designers Guild Award nomination!

Excellence in Period Film
Emma – Alexandra Byrne
Judas and the Black Messiah – Charlese Antoinette Jones
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom – Ann Roth
Mank – Trish Summerville
One Night in Miami – Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

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Kel Varnsen

Kel Varnsen

(edited)
On 4/5/2021 at 6:18 AM, Spartan Girl said:

No sympathy for Bill from me. Even though the Feds extorted him, it was obvious he knew what he was doing was wrong, and that interview at the end where he tried to justify it made me sick to my stomach. He killed himself because he couldn't live with the guilt anymore? GOOD. Let God judge him.

No sympathy from me but I appreciate that they showed how complicated the situation was. IMDB says that Bill first started working as an FBI informant when he was 17. And at the end the FBI basically said that if you don't do what we say we will not only charge you (and hunt you down if you run), but leak to the Panthers that you are a snitch, and they will probably torture and murder you too. So I can see why he might not feel like there are a lot of options.

One thing I didn't understand though was why the Panthers started shooting at the cops before the cops torched their office. It seemed like the cops at that moment were just sitting on their block harassing the neighborhood, not necessarily threatening to come in. 

Edited by Kel Varnsen
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