A mostly lighthearted comedy-drama about a family in 1973 Bedstuy Brooklyn just tryna get through life and make ends meet. The momās basically the only one tryna wrangle a whole house of rascal kids while the dad stays in the aspiring musician realm, unwilling to get a stable job to pay the bills.
Lots of fun eccentric characters and happenings, not really a plot or anything, itās just catching the vibe and spending time with this family. Great authentic style, great music, great acting.
Doesnāt get depressing till the last 30 mins or so. Based on Spike Leeās upbringing with his brothers and sisters (I think they helped him write it too).
Feb 25, 2025
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marxinista Yeah, there are a whole bunch of 70ās set-piece ones I could recommend, but you said it canāt be depressing, so I think this one mostly covers it. Barely even PG-13 besides some cussing and druggies sniffing glue.
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If youāre ever in a spike lee mood watch clockers itās a good Brooklyn based film inspired off of the novel. Probably one of my favorite flicks to watch especially on a rainy day.
Sep 23, 2021
As far as material for satire goes, the literary world is pretty low-hanging fruit, perhaps only bested by fine art collecting. Still, when the jokes are as on point as they are inĀ American Fiction, it can make for very satisfying viewing. Writer / director Cord Jefferson (who has previously written forĀ The Good Place,Ā Watchmen, andĀ Station Eleven) does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Percival Everettās novelĀ Erasure, the experimental structure of which would make a successful adaptation seem unlikely.
Author and professor Thelonious āMonkā Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, eminently watchable as always) is known for writing acclaimed but poor-selling novels and is growing frustrated by the lack of interest in his latest effort from publishers, who dismiss it for not being āblack enoughā. On top of that, he finds himself placed on leave from his university and then dealing with a series of crises with his family. One bright spot emerges however when a chance encounter with neighbor Coraline (a charming Erika Alexander) promises to develop into something more.
One night after a few drinks, Monk knocks out what he intends to be a satire of the stereotypical āBlackā novels the public seems to want featuring high melodrama, broken families, gang violence, and written in an over-the-top āghettoā vernacular. His agent reluctantly agrees to send it to a few publishing houses under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, allegedly a former convict, and much to their surprise he is promptly offered $750,000 for the book. In need of the money, he accepts and plays along with the ruse, occasionally even playing the role in person, but he canāt help but feel guilt for selling out himself and his people, and so makes attempts to sabotage the whole deal and risks damaging some personal relationships along the way.
The movie oscillates between being a razor-shop literary satire and a family dramedy in the vein ofĀ Somethingās Gotta GiveĀ orĀ As Good As It Gets, to surprisingly enjoyable effect. Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, and Myra Lucretia Taylor delight as Monkās sister, brother, mother, and long-time family housekeeper respectively, with the group displaying a genuine chemistry in their scenes together. Likewise, the budding romance with Coraline feels natural and comfortable. Itās when it takes its claws out though thatĀ American FictionĀ really rises above. Anyone who follows the book world will instantly recognize what Jefferson and Everett are targeting here and will find themselves laughing out loud at every bullseye hit. It isnāt the flashiest movie, but itās a clever and engaging look at a specific part of American culture that never forgets to entertain its audience. ā
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RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SOME DRUG USE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND BRIEF VIOLENCE.
Feb 22, 2024
Bruh I am completely obsessed with this movie. You can find it on netflix.
This is like KIDS meets Bridge to Terabithia but for grimey punk-Latinos with extra swag in their cup.
Number one: their fucking style. I havent seen this much swag in a movie ever in my life. The music, the fashion, the dancing, the graffiti, the way they speak, the HAIR. Its just oozing and exploding with ineffable "i dont give a fuck" - ness. Literally no other thing ive ever seen can relate to the swag in this movie. There's just style everywhere. Your boyfriend (or girlfriend or nongenderconformingpartner) will never be this cool in their life.
Number two: alt-mexican culture. I love mexican culture to begin with. I'm costa rican, and a lot of costa rican culture is influenced by mexican style music and way of dress, so immediately the classical influences resonate like catholic religious imagery and bright colors. On top of that, i am also Colombian and they are pulling and remixing Colombian cumbia but in a really special way. In monterrey mexico, colombian cumbia had such a deep impact on their community that they started calling themselves Kolombianos. Like an homage to the colombian culture that influenced their lives in music, fashion, and self expression. Additionally, they're pulling inspo from american cholo culture from like Houston and Cali. Baggy clothes, football jerseys, chuck taylors, bandanas. Its like a blend of so many different FLY cultures that melted together there in Monterrey, MX. puro simbolo star, loco.
Number three: the story they tell. This movie highlights the experience of one young man as he experienced life at 17 years old. Without spoiling too much of the movie, we navigate themes of violence, immigration, societal outcasting, and a coming of age. Its truly a beautiful watch.
Please watch this (twice). Thank god for punk-latinos.
Aug 1, 2024
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I donāt understand how yall end up at these random ass places you do, come across the books on ancient polyrhythmic science or whatever you read, listen to those indescribably niche tracks Iāve never heard of before or since, or host art installations from your makeshift garage, but I love hearing about every little bit of it, beyond fascinating to know all your stories and passions and the things that occupy ya mind and keep you alive. Itās like a big canvas comprised of different jagged pieces that all add up to a whole.
Iāve only been on the app for two weeks or so and itās already partly helped me heal from a lotta past grief and pain so Iām grateful to interact with yall.
Feb 25, 2025
Itās cool to learn new things, itās cool to develop some new skills. Itās cool to be able to access a whole bunch of data and knowledge at your fingertips.
Donāt let some guy on a podcast become your father figure or give you financial advice or try to anoint you with another monolithic identity not too dissimilar from the one you vowed to leave behind.
Life doesnāt get any better, but YOU do.
Mar 1, 2025
Feb 23, 2025