As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.
TODAY’S CRITIC: Lafronda Stumn
Lafronda Stumn is a student at Madisonville Community College and intends to graduate with an Associate's degree in Associate of the Arts. She plans on earning a Bachelors Degree in Motion Picture Studies and English at Wright State University. Her favorite Directors are Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Spike Lee, and her favorite actors are Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Halle Berry. Lafronda contacted this page looking for a place to get published and I enjoy giving people that very kind of opportunity. This is her 27th guest review for Every Movie Has a Lesson. Welcome as always, Lafronda!
HER REVIEW: Get On Up
James Brown had been a contentious personality in later years. He was an accomplished musician and dancer of course, but his addiction to PCP, his spousal abuse, and tax disputes soil his image. The biopic movie Get On Up by director Tate Taylor who commanded The Help dips into the details of the story of the illustrious soul superstar.
The film begins in 1933 where James Brown’s mother leaves him and his dad after a private discord. He was moved and developed by a bordello matron played by Oscar winner Octavia Spencer. Later on, at age 17, he spent time in jail. In confinement, James took up with another prison mate Bobby Byrd (Nelsen Ellis) who sings in an choir. After their discharges from the penitentiary, James came to live with the Byrd Family.
As a proceeding, Brown joins Byrd’s group and develops into the high points in his career. His tax problems, two marriages, and up-and-down relationship with Bobby Byrd fill much of Get On Up. The movie does an outstanding job of moving back and forth between time periods without confusing the audience.
In expansion, many places stand out like when James Brown sings in a studio audience and realizes that he is the sole black man in the environment amongst many white faces. There is a scene where he is in Vietnam singing for the servicemen. He is on an enormous plane that has hit amongst the battle going on in Vietnam. There is also an early scene where Brown threatens a woman who uses the toilet that only James Brown uses at his headquarters. Lastly, there is a point where he meets his mother after many years, and how Brown attempts to absolve his mom's abandonment of him.
However, there are parts that only graze the totality of his narrative. Jill Scott plays his second bride, one punched by Brown at one stage. There is no mention later on of his abuse of Scott’s role. They appear to not acknowledge the harm he applied to his original bride. Toward the resolution of the film, where Brown was addicted to PCP, there was no reason shown which prompted his addiction and how he vanquished it. The film leaves many unsettled questions that warranted a three-hour film as opposed to a 140 minute one.
Overall, Get On Up stands as a brilliant achievement by Chadwick Boseman. The actor hooked the singer’s sound, dance, and idiosyncrasies to pin a dead-on impersonation of James Brown. He is the key reason you should look at this motion picture. His presentation was not simply impressive but deserved Oscar consideration for Best Actor that year. Jill Scott, Dan Aykroyd, and Nelsen Ellis give outstanding performances as well, even if the motion picture was too chicken to inquire further into Brown's darker view.
RATING: ***
CONCLUSION
Thank you again, Lafronda! You are welcome anytime. Friends, if you see a movie that I don't see and want to be featured on my website, hit up my website's Facebook page and you can be my next GUEST CRITIC!
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