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Monday, August 27,
‘Mo’ Better Blues’ plays red hot
Mo
L
-By JOHN RIGHTE1
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If the mark of a good director is
his ability to make his viewers love
and care about, or hate, his charac
ters, then Spike Lee deserves acco
lades as truly great.
“Mo’ Better Blues” is a wonderful,
realistic drama about the deter
mined struggle of a talented musi
cian towards the fulfillment of his
perceived destiny. Denzel Washing
ton is the extremely talented Bleek
Gilliam, a self-centered, but not
careless, musician who struggles be
tween his friends, his ladies, his band
and his dream. The reality is that
Bleek does not know what he wants
— a fact that he is constantly re
minded of.
Lee is Bleek’s longtime friend and
manager, Giant, an incompetent
manager who continuously lets
Bleek and the band down as well as
himself with his serious gambling
problem. Giant will end up as
Bleek’s salvation, but in a very un
fortunate manner.
Lee, who wrote and produced
“Mo’ Better” (which is a reference to
sexual intercourse), as well as starred
in and directed the movie, places
Bleek in several circumstances to di
versify the plot and allow for his
commentary. Bleek’s two-timing na
ture, an arrangement that bothers
him nill, is a problem with black
males that Lee has spoken out
against before. Bleek’s cockiness (in
one scene he tries to escape a jam
when both his girlfriends arrive to
see him perform wearing the same
dress —ouch) comes across as cal
lous, and Lee makes him pay with
the loss of both women in a funny,
poignant scene.
In a more disturbing predica
ment, Bleak and Giant are forced to
try and renegotiate the band’s con
tract with Beneath the Underdog
club owners Moe and John Flatbush,
Spike Lee
Battalion File Photo
Battalion FilePk
Denzel Washington
a pair of tight-wad, obnoxious Jews.
It’s no secret that many African-
Americans view the Jewish commu
nity as exploitative and labor rob
bing. Whether intentional or not,
Lee only perpetuates this belief with
the wimpy, reprehensible Flatbush
brothers (although I must admit in a
very amusing manner).
The Bleek Quintet — which also
includes pianist Left Hand Lacey
(Giancarlo Esposito), bassist Bottom
Hammer (Bill Nunn), drummer
Rhythm Jones (Jeff Watts) and saxo
phonist Shadow Henderson (Wesley
Snipes) — battle with Bleek over
control of the band and their pay.
Shadow, as equally talented and
driven as Bleek, is especially con
frontational, creating several prob
lems.
In the end, Bleek finally finds his
peace, after much hardship. A giant
kick of humiliy brings Bleek down to
Earth, and by the film’s conclusion
we find the circle broken (Bleek re
fuses to live his dream through his
son — a luxury Bleek’s mother did
not afford him).
The true glory of “Mo’ Better
Blues” is the realistic, yet romantic,
handling of the characters and set
tings. Lee’s storyline tears you be
tween Bleek and the friends and
lovers he is willing to walk over. You
want to love Bleek, a basically good
guy, but the man makes it very
tough at titnes.
Washington is wonderful as
Bleek, as is Lee as Giant, a loveable
loser worth rooting for even when
you know he’ll let you down. Bleek’s
ladies, Indigo (Joie Lee) and Clarke
(Cynda Williams), are supportive, in
telligent women, betrayed by their
love to Bleek.
Wearing the director’s hat, Lee
creates evocative club settings that
set the perfect stage for the film’sit
credible jazz music (The movie
loosely based on the life of John GJ
trane and features some of his i®
sic.).
Lee makes the most of dark set
tings and moving, panoramicsk
to bridge a dreamy, night-likequafc
with the film’s daytime reality.
Despite “Mo’ Better'”s lackofom
ward adventure or humor, Leeds
rives a slick, fast-paced film thi
pops its humor at the right place
“Mo’ Better Blues” is notthecoa
troversial statement of “Do lit
Right Thing.” It is, however,
classy, endearing drama perfect!;
packaged around the romantic
lure of the jazz underworld.
“Mo’ Better” won’t strike tin
chord that “Do The Right Thing"oi
“School Daze” did, but it shouldap
lure something else — an Academ
Award.
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On
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Lyncl
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Dafoe
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DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY
VISA’
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College Station, Texas 77840
1 block South of Texas & University Dr. intersection
College Station, Texas 77840
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