Month: July 2019

L to r – Son (Jessie Usher), father (Samuel L. Jackson) and grandfather (Richard Roundtree) join forces in “Shaft” 2019.

SHAFT

Film Review by Marlene Ardoin

I usually try to avoid the violent films, but “Shaft” 2019, is different.

But, why? In 1971, it was one of the first Black power and Black cool films to appear.

In 2019, it is still all of those things, but more.

It embraces the pride in Black linage in a multi-generational way with an unapologetic, masculine perspective.

In Shaft 2019, the grandfather (Richard Roundtree), the father (Samuel L. Jackson) and the son (Jessie Usher) join forces to do what they do, better, together.

The grandfather has the guns, the father has the brute street smarts and the son has the college educated smarts.

All together, they are a force to be reckoned with.

Shaft 2019 has a lot of humor, warmth, intrigue and romance.

The reason that the masculine perspective does not offend me is, because the men are presented as woman lovers, not women haters.

Another reason that I liked this film is because, even though it is violent, it provides a catharsis for me to see the drug dealers and pimps getting the same treatment that they dish out.

At one point, the son prevents his father from hurting a female drug dealer, so the father tells her, he can’t hurt her, and so he will have to hurt her stuff.

Another reason I liked Shaft 2019 is because, if you are a product of a split home, you will come out healed.

This film is about a family that has been split up, but the father tries to show his love by sending his son yearly birthday presents that are too humorous to describe.

The split up of the mother and father is sad, because they still care for each other, but it becomes the only way to keep their son safe.

This film also tackles veteran suicide, which is not a pleasant topic, but it takes a young veteran of Muslim decent to make a point.

The final reason that I connected with this film, is because it speaks to the topic of working for “the man.”

“The man” is any company that you have ever worked for that did not appreciate you, your abilities, or just plain tried to use you, without caring one iota about you.

If you can connect with any of these reasons, then see this film.

Unless, of course, you are too sensitive, too prudish, or too intolerant.

This film is not so much about being Black and masculine in America, as it is about being American.