One quality of Anthony Hemingway's Red Tails likely to receive a bit of criticism from snarkier-than-thou mainstream movie media is actually one of its strongest virtues: the sincere, unironic, unapologetically throwback sensibility, playing much like a product from or directly after the WWII era. That its stalwart hero pilots engaging in aerial dogfight derring-do to a shamelessly swelling musical score happen to be African-American then rather pointedly highlights just how unfair it's taken this long for the legendary Tuskegee Airmen to get their proper, larger than life big screen treatment. After all, what they did do in real life was just as, if not more than, impressive than what white military heroes would do in reel life at the time. That old fashioned, almost square approach, from the archetypal lead characters to broadly sneering Nazi villainy to what are now war movie story conventions (e.g. love with a European local; being trapped behind enemy lines), adopted by Hemingway and screenwriters John Ridley and Aaron McGruder thus feels like a corrective to that long-standing cinematic inequity, to finally give these oft-overlooked patriots a retro rah-rah-worthy vehicle of their own.
But there is also more going on here than old school genre homage: it's also a solidly executed example of such an inspirational entertainer, equal parts excitement and heart. In the former category, Hemingway has fun using all the decidedly un-retro 2012 Industrial Light and Magic digital effects toys at his disposal for the many aerial warfare sequences. Given that this is a Lucasfilm Ltd. production, similarities to Star Wars (most specifically, the original) will inevitably be called out, but that's not exactly an insult for action filmmaking. What has long proven to work with X-Wings and TIE Fighters very much translates in thrilling fashion to an Earthbound combat context.
None of characters here are based on any specific real-life figures, and as such they fall for the most part into conventional character types; that said, they are all lent human dimension by the actors. Given the size of the cast (Tristan Wilds, Elijah Kelley, Ne-Yo, Michael B. Jordan, Method Man, Andre Royo, Marcus T. Paulk, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Terrence Howard are among the recognizable faces here), some of men in the unit inevitably get more screen attention than others, but serving as an equalizing force is the unforced and genuine camaraderie between the guys, helped by some amusing banter from Ridley and McGruder's pen. That chemistry is especially evident between the lead buddy pair of Nate Parker and, the certain breakout of the ensemble, David Oyelowo. As, respectively, the hard-drinking captain and reckless daredevil of the group, they forge a believably brotherly tough love rapport and have the effortless gravitas to sell and serve as a compelling emotional anchor for all the action.
But, of course, what makes this film that is (per the opening titles) "inspired by real events" certain to inspire future real events is the enduring legacy of the Airmen. If Red Tails isn't quite the information-heavy lecture of a historical drama some may be expecting, the Tuskegee Airmen's genuine spirit of courage, dedication, and brotherhood is rather fittingly honored and embodied by what is a rousing adventure picture.
I won't post anything formal about the film until closer to its March 23 release date in both the U.S. and its native Indonesia (that is, unless I get clearance from the Sony Pictures Classics publicists), but I haven't quite shaken the rush of Gareth Evans's The Raid since my screening of it yesterday afternoon. This trailer (the original cut from Indonesia rather than the domestic one, for it more clearly sets up the story scenario) will go a long way toward explaining exactly why.
While a sequel to his 2006 global action hit, Farhan Akhtar's Don 2 is really the first film to truly reflect what an ongoing Don film series would look like should it continue. After all, being a remake of a 1978 film, Akhtar's first Don was thus beholden to a certain arc and plot beats (which he not only revisited but reinvigorated with a slicker, sleeker style and sensibility); but more importantly--and intriguingly--the film closed on a note that would then send any proper follow-up in a wildly different direction from the original '70s incarnation. To try to both satisfy expectations built by a wildly successful film and follow a distinctive, divergent path that still feels valid and consistent within the original framework is a daunting challenge--but for a filmmaker like Akhtar, it's also very much a galvanizing dare that leads him to up the ante in just about every respect and fully claim the Don mythos as his own.
Akhtar and co-writers Ameet Mehta and Amrish Shah have wisely written in the five-year gap between releases into the movie world, making for a conveniently organic opportunity to reshuffle and reboot where necessary. The titular crime boss (Shahrukh Khan) has by now conquered the Asian drug trade, which makes him prime target for the kingpins in Europe, who suspect him to have their territory next in his sights--which, of course, he does, and figuring in his plan is an unlikely ally: archenemy Vardhaan (Boman Irani), who had been left to rot in prison in the last half-decade. With the European underworld after him as well as the international authorities--led by Roma (Priyanka Chopra), now officially carrying an Interpol badge to support her ongoing personal revenge mission--it would have been easy for the script to once again go with the chase film format of the first film( s ). But the pursuit, while still very much an important element, takes a back seat to what is essentially a tightly wound heist picture, as Don, Vardhaan, and a few new recruits (including Kunal Kapoor as a computer hacker and Lara Dutta as Don's latest right-hand moll) plot a potentially game-changing robbery in Berlin--the game of which is, naturally, constantly in flux with its players' self-serving interests and shifting allegiances.
Akhtar milks the mechanics of the complex caper for all their suspenseful worth as expertly as he handled the first film's fights, car chases, and all other manner of slam-bang mayhem--which are all still very much present here and just as polished, aided immeasurably by the work of cinematographer Jason West and editor Anand Subaya. In adding yet another layer of genre convention into the blockbuster action mix (which is already laid on top of the standard Bollywood conventions), plot and character could have easily and, to be frank, understandably been sacrificed, but that admirably isn't the case. Unlike most action sequels, this is neither a retread nor a self-contained "Don's Next Scheme" episode, but an organic continuation of existing story elements (in fact, a key plot catalyst stems from a more casually played moment in the first film) and, more importantly, character. The inevitable twists and turns are far from arbitrary, for the film remains firmly rooted in the established personalities. This does mean that the newcomers are neglected to a degree (Dutta cuts a striking figure but is only sparingly used; Sahil Shroff gets even less to do as Roma's besotted partner), but they ably serve their ultimate function in supporting the ever-compelling goings-on with the returning cast. In a rather gutsy move, Akhtar doesn't take the easy way out in bowing to the character's popularity and soften Don into a more palatable "antihero"; Don remains gleefully, unrepentantly evil (and retains his fondness for Tom and Jerry cartoons), making for a rather refreshing villain's perspective-driven actioner, and a fiercely energized Khan clearly relishes this latest opportunity to break away from his trademark roguish romantic hero persona. Even more important, however, in fueling the drama are the ever-evolving relationships between those familiar characters, the most fascinating continuing to be that between Don and Roma, whose tense and still-intense erotic electricity ignites further complications, manipulations, and uneasy yet undeniable truths.
That wicked waltz becomes quite literal in one memorable scene that is emblematic of Akhtar's savvy, narrative-focused use of Indian popular cinema tropes. Given Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's infectiously old school funk-inflected song score (an inspired way to carry over the '70s homage vibe now that Don has no longer dons flamboyant pimpdaddy fashions this time out), it is a bit disappointing that song and dance is at a relative minimum here. But the one full-blown production number, "Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo" ("Hold on to Your Heart"), arises where it makes story sense (and nicely mirrors the touchstone "Main Hoon Don" number in the first film), and Akhtar and West make it count in a big way, going all-out with the spectacle, marrying the memorable music with Viabhav Merchant's creative choreography and a stunning, silhouette-driven visual design. Similarly, in an especially clever touch, Akhtar trots out the old Bollywood cliché of a surprise superstar cameo in a way that actually serves, rather than distracts from, the plot.
But then it doesn't take any familiarity with Hindi film or any such conventions, or even to have seen Don, to enjoy Don 2. More than a worthy sequel, it is simply an exciting and downright fun thrill ride of a movie, period, and Farhan Akhtar deserves his due as one of the great mainstream film talents currently working anywhere, period.
The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the winners of their 2011 awards at a press conference held at the Universal City Hilton on December 12, hosted by AAFCA president and founder Gil Robertson IV and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield.
Best Actor: Woody Harrelson, Rampart Best Actress: Viola Davis, The Help Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, The Help Best Supporting Actor: Albert Brooks, Drive Best Foreign Film: Alrick Brown, Kinyarwanda Breakout Performance: Adepero Oduye, Pariah Best Director: Steve McQueen, Shame Best Screenplay: Ava DuVernay, I Will Follow Best Song: "The Show," Moneyball - written by Jason Reeves & Lenka Kripac Best Independent Film:Pariah, directed by Dee Rees Best Documentary:The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, directed by Göran Olsson
Cinema Vanguard: George Lucas AAFCA Legacy: Richard Roundtree AAFCA Horizon: Hattie Winston Institution: Sony Pictures Entertainment
The awards will be handed out on Sunday, January 8, 2012, at a private dinner held at the Lightspace Studio in Culver City, California.
Last night, Christian Bale, hosted a special reception in Beverly Hills for director Zhang Yimou in celebration of his powerful new film The Flowers of War (which I will write in more length about in time for its awards-qualifying run beginning on December 23). Joining Zhang and Bale for the event were his co-star in the film, talented newcomer Ni Ni, as well as reception co-hosts Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu and David Linde.
While making sequels to blockbuster films is a long-standing Hollywood tradition, the practice has only become more common fairly recently in Bollywood--and that's the only reason I can come up with for the mixed initial reactions to Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's Don 2 soundtrack. One common complaint is the recurring use of the recognizable theme melody of Farhan Akhtar's 2006 Don, which some have taken to be laziness on the part of the celebrated composing trio. I say it's anything but lazy and downright difficult to incorporate that melody line into different tunes in seamless, organic manner, making for an uncommon musical unity across an Indian film's entire song score, which more often than not runs the gamut from club-ready bangers to traditional dress dance numbers to romantic ballads. But there's another, more inspired unifying element to the songs here; early footage from the film suggests that Shahrukh Khan's title character has abandoned the cheeky-cool pimpdaddy costuming this time out, but Akhtar and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy keep the retro spirit alive in the music, for every non-remix track here bears strong elements of 1970s funk and R&B--a sound that perhaps comes off a bit (for lack of a better term) alien to longtime Hindi film soundtrack listeners and reviewers. But this is no mere throwback pastiche; Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy marry the rich, soulful instrumentation with the modern electro elements they brought to the first film, making for a music masala as unique as it is utterly irresistible. Here's hoping the film proper can accordingly fall in line come December 23.
; Rated PG-13
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