American Fiction

Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Skyler Wright, Issa Rae, Adam Brody, John Ales, Patrick Fischler, Keith David, Okieriete Onaodowan
Directed by: Cord Jefferson
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A literary novelist (Jeffrey Wright) decides to write a stereotypical "black" novel while dealing with intense family drama. When the novel blows up, it changes his life unexpectedly.

Review:

Tim: American Fiction is a wonderfully unexpected film, directed exceptionally well by Cord Jefferson. This is a film that tackles "black" literature and hilariously exposes what it means to a writer when society refuses to allow just that- the characters here can't just be writers, they have to be "black" writers, with all the accompanying stereotypes of what that means. I love how Jefferson attacked this subject with heart and humor. The film is a bit uneven- the back third of the movie felt clunky and clumsy to me. But, it features terrific performances and although it didn't hit my Top 10 of 2023, it's a movie well worth our time.

The main thrust of the film is that this serious literary author decides to write a "black" novel as a joke. He uses a pen name to distance himself from it. Much to his chagrin, the novel blows up and it becomes a phenomenon. This forces him to pretend to be the author, which spirals a bit out of his control. This aspect of the film is wonderful, because it confronts stereotypes and racial expectations that plague black writers- but the same can be said to any minority group. The movie shows the absurdity of all this, the ridiculousness of manufactured expectations. It shows white guilt, the clumsiness that "anti-racists" sometimes have as they try to navigate issues that make them uncomfortable and they aren't prepared to deal with. The "black" book in question becomes popular because it adheres to white society's expectations of what a "black" book should be. The whole thing is so absurd, it feels weird even writing this now- but it's a reflection of society right now, and the movie does a terrific job of showcasing this.

While all that is going on, our main character is also suffering multiple family tragedies and is trying to piece his life back together. I thought the juxtaposition of these two narrative streams was beautifully done. As the main character's life falls apart, he writes a book that launches him into unwanted limelight and fame. Money begins to roll in, but it just costs his own self-respect. These themes are interwoven together in a fascinating way that creates immense drama. I really did enjoy watching this all take place.

So much of this is helped by the tremendous performance of Jeffrey Wright. Wright is one of the finest actors working today, and he brings such humanity, such complexity to the character of Monk Ellison. He's a flawed man and Wright allows us to see that. But, we also see how society, other people have influenced him, potentially nudged him in the wrong directions. It's a masterful performance, full of nuance and layers. Wright has delivered so many great performances over the years that the strength of this one might get somewhat lost. He's been even better, but that takes nothing away from one of the finest pieces of acting in 2023. I was so happy Wright was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He deserves that recognition. He's funny, warm, frustrating, arrogant, ludicrous, long-suffering. Wright is so authentic and mesmerizing in his work here. And, he makes us laugh.

He has a great collaborator in Sterling K. Brown. Brown gives one of the best performances he's ever delivered as Monk's brother. Brown's screen time is limited, but every time he shows up, he brings immense energy and humor into the proceedings. Perhaps the best scene in the entire film is the back-and-forth banter between Wright and Brown as they load the trunk of a car. Brown's delivery of the line, "Mother!!!" is one of the funniest I've seen this decade. I rewatched that scene about a dozen times. It's absolutely perfect and getting to see Wright and Brown together like this was truly a gift. Brown is a constant scene-stealer and he makes every sequences with him in it better. Brown was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and I think with a bit more screen time, he might have had a chance. As is, he's limited a bit too much. I wish he had more to do here.

The rest of the cast is so strong as well John Ortiz has some great moments. Tracee Ellis Ross was stunning. I loved her performance. Issa Rae was strong and compelling. We all need to keep our eyes on her. I loved seeing Keith David in his small role. Adam Brody was funny in his ridiculous role. Jefferson leverages his cast fully and gets the most out of them.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, it feels like it loses focus a bit towards the end. The author is struggling a bit with how his story ends, and the narrative takes on a surreal and odd bent. We see a scene playing out numerous times in different ways and it all feels clunky and mishandled. The film perfectly blended comedy and drama throughout the run time, but it feels like the movie starts to get away from Jefferson towards the end. Several of the latter sequences don't feel well designed and it limits the impact of the narrative. It's never bad enough to really hurt the film, but I do believe it knocks it just below the greatness line. Still, the script has so many excellent moments and it's so sharp and insightful- Cord Jefferson did win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and I have to say it felt well-deserved. The writing was excellent, the dialogue so engaging and authentic.

That was the film's lone win, among 5 Academy Award nominations- Best Actor and Supporting Actor as I mentioned, the win for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. The film was also nominated for Best Picture. All very impressive.

I'm a big fan of American Fiction. Cord Jefferson earned a well-deserved Academy Award for his script. This was also his directorial debut, so I have to believe the inexperience in that realm hurt the film's latter third. Still, this is a monumental achievement for a first-time director. As Jefferson leverages his considerable writing talent, I suspect we'll all become intimately familiar with his name in coming years. For this film, it's an exceptionally well made film filled with heart and humor. It also tackles important racial themes that are well-worth exploring in cinema. For me, it's flaws knock it down a peg, but this is still one of the funniest, most entertaining movies of 2023.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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