American Fiction (2023)'s comments

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samoan

One of the best and funniest movies of the year! A must see! Fantastic writing and acting.

4 months ago

Jeffrey Wright plays "Monk" Ellison, an African-American author, in American Fiction, but Ellison wouldn't describe himself that way. After being told his writing isn't black enough (or black at all), he writes a lampoon that reinforces and makes fun of all the stereotypes inherent to the African-American experience as seen in media as a middle finger to publishers, never expecting it to be taken seriously. But it sells like gangbusters, and he's caught in the kind of success he never wanted, acting like someone he isn't. His personal world is upper middle class, filled with doctors, lawyers, academics, beach houses, the fear of becoming like one's father, and romance over wine. So the movie gives us a "non-black" family dramady with a playful ending that riffs on the "give 'em what they expect, sell-out" nature of the film's fictional bestseller. The whole thing is grand satire, with thoughtless micro-aggressions every time a white character is in the room. Beyond the biting satire, there's Ellison's story, filled with charming and witty characters, efficiently working to ingratiate you to the family members, and knowingly nod at the send-up of white literati. Very funny, and often touching, American Fiction is a full meal that has a lot to say about how reductive our entertainment is, but also wants us to invest in a cast of well-drawn characters. It's like a good book! Indeed, it's based on one: Erasure by Percival Everett, which I really must put on my reading list.

3 months 2 weeks ago