Okay that title is pretty vague, and I will be the first to say that this blog does not get a crazy amount of traffic, so being vague is not a good thing. I love the blog: http://www.shadowandact.com/ . Not because the title derived from my favorite author, but because the blog has the most information on cinema that caters to a diverse audience. In other words, if I want a Black movie, or I want to know about a movie filmed, written and produced by those not of European ancestry, then I can find the info there. I tend to think I have a pretty good ear, for books, and an okay eye for film. What I have been looking for though from S&A is an article, or a summary on why is it that Black people can’t create a film like It’s Complicated. I’ve made similar comments after watching films like The Fountain, or The Notebook, but I won’t rehash those discussions here. I will, but in a different way.
The story of It’s Complicated is the basic relationship film and while it does not break new ground, what White movies (I guess this can’t really be considered a “White” movie since I’m watching it right, but you know where I’m going with this.) utilize mimesis in a way that Black films just can’t seem to capture. This is what I mean: the story in It’s Complicated is about ’50 something’ Empty Nesters who are experiencing the continued emotional ramifications of divorce. These characters have depth, not because of abuse, and not because of some traumatic situation that has destroyed the household. There aren’t any middle aged women or men burning up cars and clothes or cutting couches with chainsaws. A very careful, patient narrative is allowed to develop around Meryl Streep’s character and her complex adjustment to a divorce that took place ten years prior.
In the movie that plot is held together by the three children, an older girl who is engaged to be married, a middle child/boy who has finished his master’s degree and an younger daughter who is leaving the home and heading to college. Also creating tension in the film is Alec Baldwin’s character, the ex-husband who realizes his mistakes in forcing his wife to walk away from their union. the film is a comedic, well paced film that even allows the often awkward Steve Martin to be made into the sympathetic “new” guy in Streep’s life who creates her epiphany. There are several scenes that capture the uncomfortable nature of dating and affairs and those scenes make you wonder about the golden years and how odd it must be to have to start over, after years of parenting and life in general. No spoilers here, but I highly recommend the film. It’s not really a chick flick; I think it’s more of a contemplative focus on how the simple emotional attachments people share often contribute to the most difficult parts of living.
What does this have to do with Black films? Once again, at the end of watching It’s Complicated, I attempted to find a comparison based on these qualifications:
