#JasmineCephas

[doomonfilm]

Review : Blindspotting (2018)

There’s something about Oakland that is not only captivating in real life and in popular culture, but potentially captivating on the big screen as well.  While San Francisco has traditionally been getting the spotlight, there has been a recent shift in focus towards Oakland that has yielded thought-provoking and creative material.  The latest offering is the hard-hitting and extremely entertaining Blindspotting, a film that, in my personal opinion, is one of the first strong contenders for Best Picture nominations.

Collin (Daveed Diggs) is 3 days away from being off of probation, all based on an altercation at a bar he formerly worked door for where he and childhood friend Miles (Rafael Casal) ultimately beat a troublemaking patron unconscious.  While Collin is doing all that he can to avoid trouble, Miles and his reckless choices become more and more amplified as Collin’s potential freedom edges closer.  The same night that Miles buys a gun in the presence of Collin, Collin is the unfortunate witness to the homicide of a young man at the hands of a Officer Molina (Ethan Embry).  With pressure mounting on all sides, Collin does all that he can to hold on to his sanity and his relationships with those he loves while trying to make it to the light of freedom at the end of the tunnel.  

The observations that Blindspotting makes on loyalty, feeling trapped, and how those two things can often be connected, are bold while not being force fed to the viewer.  The friendship between Collin and Miles is a story that is as old as time... remaining loyal to someone that’s always been there for you while realizing that you may have outgrown the friendship.  Miles and his undying loyalty to Oakland ultimately create a flashpoint of tension that often causes Miles to be at odds with the citizens that have moved in as a result of gentrification.  Miles and that loyalty to Oakland simultaneously causes issues of identity with him, as his natural personality is often misidentified as him parroting black culture.  Collin fights his own battles with loyalty to his identity as he realizes that loyalty is only creating divides between himself and those he hopes to be close to, such as ex-girlfriend Val (Janina Gavankar).  Even the title is an allusion to our brains being so loyal to what we interpret that it is often easy to misread people and situations completely.

Daveed Diggs and his inclusion in the film in light of his massive recent success with Hamilton’s stage production makes the Chekov’s gun inclusion in Blindspotting that much more interesting.  Despite it being a given that guns would be present in a film about urban Oakland, one particular gun plays an important role throughout the film up until the point that it slightly subverts the expectations set by Chekov.  The gun is the factor that sets the three day narrative in motion near the very beginning in act one, it stays ever present while not necessarily being the focus, but upon its return in act three, it makes 3 key appearances, each serving a different narrative function, and all equally powerful.  In all honesty, it is one of the most creative uses of the adage I’ve seen in quite a while.

One of the most compelling moments in the film (and one that, while present throughout the story, takes a sudden center stage) centers around the use of the word ‘nigga’, and the nature of what makes one a nigga.  The target of the conversation is Miles (who is white), and two different characters in rapid succession break down the fact that he is the base definition of nigga specifically because of how he carries himself and interacts with others.  It may not be brand new ground for film and exploration of the word’s usage, but the way it is implemented within this film plays extremely effectively.

Striking cinematography and writing are what really make this film stand out.  The split screens used in the opening credits to show a juxtaposition of new Oakland against old Oakland comes back in a reflective way in regards to Collin and Val’s relationship.  The constant use of center framing, dolly moves and repetitive sequences put the viewer square into the world of our protagonists.  The police shooting scene cleverly uses the side-view mirrors of the moving van to put all three elements in frame.  In terms of writing, Diggs gets to flex his lyrical muscle originated in Clipping, and honed in Hamilton, to a wonderful effect and purpose in Blindspotting.  The ending is terrifying, compelling and invigorating all in equal measure.

Daveed Diggs is so likable in this performance that his dread is wholly and completely felt by the filmgoer, deepening our investment in the film.  Rafael Casal manages to portray Miles as entirely lovable while also making him be a clear red flag.  Janina Gavankar plays Val a bit tough, and the resolution between herself and Collin is left a bit unfulfilling, but she does make the most of her key moments.  Seeing Ethan Embry in the role of a tortured public servant is an interesting turn, as his ever present and infectious smile is nowhere to be found in this film.  Tisha Campbell and Lance Cameron Holloway also make good appearances.

As I told my good friends and fellow film-lovers that urged me to see Blindspotting, ‘this film is exactly what Crash wanted to be’.  I really and truly believe this film will get nominations for Best Picture at the least, and I would hope it has a chance to win, but I would not be surprised if it goes as the key slept-on film of 2018.  Don’t be part of the group that misses out.  

[abbeyroard]

hello fello ozians, it’s me carol!!!!1!

so, i justed hit 1,000 followers, and it may be not much for most of you, but i’m so excited!!! so i changed my username, as you guys may have noticed.

so everettcrss is no longer everettcrss. okay???okay.!

and...i decided to do my first follow forever, yay!!!! (and I know this is friday only stuff, but whateve)

so here we go.! [favorites are bold]

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