Movie with Abe: Education

Education
Directed by Steve McQueen
Released December 18, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

When the term “systemic racism” is used, it implies a built-in bias to a way of doing things that inherently holds certain people back. When expectations are created based on only a portion of society, it’s understandable that some will not benefit and will in fact be held to an improper standard that only impedes progress. What’s worse is that those who are set up for failure may not even be aware that something else is possible since they have no opportunities to see success except from those for whom it is much easier to achieve it.

Kingsley (Kenyah Sandy) is a twelve-year-old fascinated by space who dreams of growing up to be an astronaut. A slow reader, he is frequently targeted by teachers and pulled out of class until he is told by the headmaster that he has special needs and will be transferred to a special school. He quickly learns that education is far from paramount at the institution, where he and his classmates are often left unattended all day. A visit from Hazel (Naomi Ackie) helps Kingsley to see that all is not right, and she is intent on making members of the West Indian community know that accepting things as they are is not the only course of action.

This film is the fifth in an anthology series called “Small Axe” directed by Steve McQueen, best known for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” The final installment is an appropriate coda, one that focuses on a young protagonist who has plenty to offer but is continuously held back by those with power who want to tell him what he can and can’t accomplish. Unlike the characters in the previous films, Kingsley doesn’t know what the world offers and therefore fights back only as much as he can, and the poignant journey is the one experienced by his mother (Sharlene Whyte), who gradually comes to see her son for the talents he has rather than his shortcomings.

Like the majority of the films that precede it, “Education” runs just over one hour, pausing frequently to live in the mundanity of the environment in which Kingsley is forced to sit and waste time rather than being actively engaged in any form of learning. That time is an excellent opportunity to get to know him both as an individual character and a representative example of the many people in his situation who were not and, in some cases, continue not to be, treated as equal to anyone else. In its own right and as a conclusion to this series, it’s a strong and affirming spotlight on division, racism, and a fight for change.

B+

Movie with Abe: Alex Wheatle

Alex Wheatle
Directed by Steve McQueen
Released December 11, 2020 (Amazon)

A person cannot control the circumstances under which they are born and how they are raised. Those factors undeniably influence who they are and the choices they make. Witnessing the consequences of other people’s decisions shapes the way people go about their own lives, teaching them what happens when particular paths are followed and how seemingly predestined fates may or may not be changeable. Escaping a destructive cycle can be very challenging with countless obstacles and the expectations of those who can’t understand someone’s perspective threatening to prevent it from being truly lasting.

Alex Wheatle (Sheyi Cole) grows up in an institutional care home where he is continually treated poorly due in large part to the fact that he is surrounded only by white people. When he grows up, he begins to discover himself in Brixton, immersing himself in the music world and establishing a reputation for himself as a DJ. When he is arrested for his part in the Brixton Uprising of 1981, Alex confronts a part of himself he hasn’t yet tapped into, connecting with literature that will inspire a prolific career as an esteemed author.

This film is the fourth in an anthology series called “Small Axe” directed by Steve McQueen, best known for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” At times, it feels like “Mangrove,” the first installment, incorporating intense moments from the Brixton Uprising that are difficult to shake. But this is a far more intimate story, featuring a protagonist who never felt like he was fully a part of any community but managed to make his own connections to each, which in turn informed the knowledge he built to share with the rest of the world.

Alex is certainly a worthwhile main character, one who takes a good deal of abuse throughout his early life before facing a moment of despair in prison and adjusting his outlook after receiving a reality check from his cellmate. This film runs just sixty-five minutes, incorporating a good deal of content that traces Alex’s development from a tormented but good-natured child into a free spirit who decides that he wants to do something with the potential to inspire others. It’s not the most riveting or engaging of the anthology series thus far, but it does serve as a decent biography of someone who was definitely not set up for success but chose to utilize that which had threatened to derail his life and turn it into a positive outlet.

B

Movie with Abe: Red, White and Blue

Red, White and Blue
Directed by Steve McQueen
Released December 4, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

There is a belief many have that the only way to change a problematic system is to become part of it. Establishing reforms and new policies may only be possible by confronting what exists directly and taking active steps to dismantle it. That drive, while noble and often effective, does include a strong likelihood of disappointment, since seeing the state of affairs up close and truly understanding the work that needs to be done can be indicative of just how arduous it will be. That can inspire some and discourage others, since fighting an uphill battle is never easy.

Leroy Logan (John Boyega) works as a forensic scientist in London, eager to give back to his community in a way that he knows he can. When his father, Kenneth (Steve Toussaint), is stopped and attacked by policemen, Leroy realizes that he needs to do more to make a difference. Enrolling as a cadet for the Metropolitan Police, the smart and capable Leroy becomes a literal poster child for the academy’s commitment to diversity, a notion that Leroy continually sees is not reflected in the backwards and hateful attitudes of his fellow officers that go unchecked and result in truly deplorable profiling and practices.

This film is the third in an anthology series called “Small Axe” directed by Steve McQueen, best known for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” After the music-heavy “Lovers Rock,” this film returns to the themes of the first, “Mangrove,” looking at the power of the police and the way in which they deliberately target Black communities. Leroy has achieved a good deal in his life despite the way that those who look like him are treated, and he is determined to effect change, knowing just how hard it may be. The most affecting moments in this film come when Leroy witnesses or hears derogatory behavior directed at minority groups or colleagues and his anger boils over, intent on taking a stand even if he knows that his action will have negative personal consequences down the line.

Boyega is a popular actor who, like Letitia Wright from “Black Panther” in “Mangrove,” should be familiar to audiences from his role in the latest Star Wars films. While that part was someone comedic, this one is deadly serious, and Boyega does a formidable job of displaying total commitment to an idea above anything else, resolute in his determination to make a difference. At just under eighty minutes, this film feels slightly short, but it still manages to probe the ways in which a system that might be described as complex is really much simpler, and the first step to breaking it down is not to let anything go unchallenged, however difficult that may be. It’s a powerful lesson for the present moment that is effectively argued through this film’s content.

B+

Movie with Abe: Lovers Rock

Lovers Rock
Directed by Steve McQueen
Released November 27, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

Films, unlike plays, tend to take advantage of the ability to cut together scenes to feature multiple locations and have their characters travel to places rather than simply talk about them. Yet there is something to be said for how telling an entire story in one place can in fact strengthen it, inviting viewers in to experience the same surroundings and not allowing them to escape to other settings. It’s a bold choice in cinema that may not work for all audiences, but it may also be able to offer more to contemplate thanks to the created boundaries of its portrayed world.

In the 1980s, a group of Black people are gathered at a house party. Over the course of the night, which is filled with music and occasional confrontations, Martha (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) and Franklyn (Micheal Ward) form a connection through looks, dance, and interaction. There is something about being together in that house that only serves to intensify their feelings, and the rhythm of the songs serves as a score of sorts to guide their romance.

This film is the second in an anthology series called “Small Axe” directed by Steve McQueen, best known for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” After the first film, “Mangrove,” this feels like something out of a completely different world. The characters don’t interact with police officers, and they’re left alone to sort out their own issues within the confines of the house. Plot is not the emphasis here, but instead it’s about the relationships that are building, and the way in which one night can truly feel like forever even if it is certain to come to an eventual end.

This film’s title does a good job of explaining its subject matter. Compared with “Mangrove,” this film is far less engaging in a traditional way. Remaining mostly within the confines of the house is a technique that works well to underscore the closeness building between people who don’t know each other, but, as a result, there’s not all that much that happens, making this film’s brief sixty-eight-minute runtime feel like an eternity. As the music repeatedly increases in volume, songs serve as the more effective anchor, making things more interesting for a few moments before returning to a decent but far from invigorating portrait of passion. It may prove most resounding if watched on its own and considered more as a music piece than a mediocre movie.

B-

Movie with Abe: Mangrove

Mangrove
Directed by Steve McQueen
Released November 20, 2020 (Amazon Prime)

Living in the United States, it’s easy to forget that there’s a whole world out there that faces many of the same problems that exist here. Many other countries have narratives built on inequality and societies created from structures that turned people into property. The passing of laws to prohibit discrimination after those systems were officially dismantled only did so much, and there are many disturbing and compelling stories of people and communities that were forced to assert their right to live and exist peacefully and in charge of their own destinies.

In the late 1960s, Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), originally from Trinidad, was the owner of a café in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London. Proudly displaying a sign denoting a “Black-owned business,” Frank found his shop continually subject to police harassment and frequent baseless raids. When Frank and other members of the West Indian and Black communities staged a protest against this police mistreatment, they were arrested and put on trial, where Judge Edward Clarke (Alex Jennings) repeatedly refused a number of requests designed to ensure the fair treatment of the defendants.

This film is the first in an anthology series called “Small Axe” directed by Steve McQueen, best known for the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave.” Based on the true story of the Mangrove Nine, this entry showcases a powerful case of people demanding to be heard and to live without being constantly subjugated to persecution. Its timing coincides closely with the release of the American film “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which presents its own version of distorted justice and a resolute governmental defense of police over the rights of those oppressed and abused by them. There are clear differences and the stakes are very much not the same, but both films make for emphatic and worthwhile viewing.

This film makes strong use of an ensemble cast led by Parkes that includes Letitia Wright, who delivers a formidable turn as a Black Panther activist who knows exactly what the law entitles her to and is not content to relinquish any autonomy, especially not to a white lawyer. Before it even gets to the courtroom, a setting that is truly compelling and presented in an engaging fashion, this film cements itself as an important and involving dramatization by refusing to pull away from its most intense scenes, firmly trapping its audience in the center of violent protests or unexpected raids. This film’s events may be in the past, but its content as portrayed in this format feels enticingly urgent.

B+