In our continuing coverage of Oscar-nominated films, guest reviewer Roope Backlund of PurgatoryFlicks has a look at Judas and the Black Messiah, nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, two Best Supporting Actors, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), a young, charismatic activist, becomes Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, putting him directly in the crosshairs of the government, the FBI, and the Chicago Police. But to destroy the revolution, the authorities are going to need a man on the inside.
I didn’t know about the real story behind the film, so I had no idea how the it would turn out. Now I know a tad more, so it was an educational piece as well. The way the film was crafted never felt predictable to me. Particularly the last act was jawdropping. A perfect example of extraordinary filmmaking.
Shaka King helmed the directors chair like a true king, and the screenplay by him and his co-writer Will Berson was razor-sharp. DP Sean Bobbet deserves a shoutout for his work here, some truly stunning shots for the entire film, setting the mood which elevated the picture into whole new heights.
What do you get when you put two guaranteed future Oscar-winning actors as leads in a thought-provoking, relevant and poignant ”inspired by true story” film? The answer is, gold. I was going back and forth for the entirety of the film that was it LaKeith Stanfield or Daniel Kaluuya who had the better performance in the film. Both, with arguably the strongest roles of their careers but portraying entirely different types of characters. Clearly Kaluuya as the newly appointed chairman Fred Hampton offers more of a wow-factor, with each scene more powerful than the previous one.
But to me personally what might’ve shockingly made a bigger impact was the work of Mr. Stanfield, who brings life to the character by a quiet and, up to a point, very naturally subtle performance. In conclusion, I’d say both of them in regards to this film would deserve Oscar nominations.
Jesse Plemons was great in portraying this crooked FBI agent and one casting that felt weird on paper was Martin Sheen as J. Edgar Hoover, but surprisingly it worked. Not all of the supporting characters are utilized enough but everyone does their best with what they are given.
I guess the easiest recent film to compare this with would be Sorkin’s Trial of Chicago 7, though these two are different beasts. Sorkin’s film in my opinion is more accessible and overall an easier watch, due to his usual tropes. Whilst Black Messiah is heavier by miles, and to me the better film of those two.
Judas and the Black Messiah is an acting showcase galore. A deeply moving, powerful and most of all relevant film that demands to be seen. 50 years has gone and it feels like this could easily happen now too. A biopic that strays away from most of your usual biopic tropes, raises some serious moral questions and manages to truly be its own thing. A film, that could’ve easily been 90 minutes longer as there are so many interesting plotlines here, but I didn’t mind that the film was jammed into 2 hours, making it so fast paced considering its genre. A shocking real life infernal affairs. Highly recommended.
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