By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
After receiving five Oscar nominations including Best Picture, it is not debatable that this is a quality motion picture. “American Fiction” is an intellectual comedy that is both thought provoking and wonderfully amusing. Led by Oscar nominated performances, the story revolves around a family drama that is genuine, relatable, and heartfelt.
As a struggling novelist, Thelonious ‘Monk’ Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is known for creating books that may be a perfect example of the use of the English language but seem to be lifeless and are not commercially successful. Sick of the establishment profiting from “Black” entertainment, Monk uses a pen name to write a book as a joke, using exaggerated stereotypes for his characters to prove his point of the ridiculousness of it all. Instead, publishers and book critics eat it up, launching his career into a frenzy the likes of which he’s never experienced.
When tragedy strikes the Ellison family, Monk tries to get his brother Clifford (Sterling K. Brown) to help, however, Clifford has issues of his own that make him very unreliable. As Monk navigates both the ongoing family drama as well as his newfound success in hypocrisy that he finds detestable yet welcoming, he also finds love with Coraline (Erika Alexander). Unfortunately, his closed off demeanor that pushes everyone away threatens to undermine this blossoming relationship.
Based on the book “Erasure” by Percival Everett, comes the directorial debut of Cord Jefferson, who also wrote the screenplay. The comical premise of this film would have made for a fine, entertaining experience all by itself, but to layer it with complex and dramatic subplots without losing its sense of humor is a special kind of feat that few can achieve. Cord does a magnificent job of crafting this comedy that is hysterically witty and mixing it seamlessly with an emotionally charged family drama that will hit close to home for most people, coupling it with an Oscar nominated score that accentuates the mood of every scene.
It is difficult to imagine this is the first time Cord Jefferson has directed anything, because the creativity and flawless pacing exudes a level of confidence that is usually only reserved for the most experienced and accomplished directors. For instance, as the main character is writing this sham of a book, he materializes the book characters in front of him to enact what he’s writing to show how this could turn into an actual success. This creative filmmaking style continues, culminating in an impactful ending that is somewhat and amusingly similar to “Wayne’s World.” While Cord did receive an Oscar nomination for his terrific writing in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay, he did not receive one for Best Director, for which a stronger case can be made that he was more deserving of the nomination than Martin Scorsese.
More often than not, veteran actor Jeffrey Wright is typically in a supporting role, but he gets to show his talent and range in “American Fiction” as the headliner. With his quick, dry wit he provides a performance to remember that earns him his first ever Oscar nomination. He elegantly portrays an egocentric author, who internally struggles with his newfound success with a book he considers inferior to his abilities as a writer. Layering his character with an impenetrable wall that makes relationships with family and loved ones challenging turns this into a dynamic, three-dimensional performance.
Having one Oscar nominated performance in a film is rare enough, but having two puts the film into a more elite category. Sterling K. Brown also earns his first nomination for his supporting performance as the troubled brother of the main character. Best known for his roles in “Black Panther” and TV’s “This Is Us,” Brown provides an instrumental portrayal of the more outgoing brother who hides his internal and familial issues behind a façade of humor and drugs. The added depth he gives his character makes the key moments of vulnerable sharing and wisdom with the main character more meaningful.
With no major film releases this past weekend, this makes for the perfect opportunity to catch up on the big Oscar contenders. “American Fiction” is one of those you don’t want to miss. It is incredibly creative and insightful while being hysterically funny and not overly dramatic.
This movie earns:
