R 2023 Comedy/Drama 1h 57m
Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is a disgruntled author. Publishers aren’t interested in buying his latest book because they are looking for a Black book. As he tells his agent, “they have a Black book. I’m Black and it’s my book.” What the publishers are looking for is “Black trauma porn” where the protagonists are slaves, prostitutes, criminals or otherwise down trodden. His agent says, “Whites don’t want the truth. They want to feel absolved.”
The concerns in Monk’s life are a stark contrast to the stereotypical Black issues presented in the movie. Monk is dealing with an aging mother, a brother who has recently come out of the closet, and his own tendencies to push people away from getting to close to him. Fueled by alcohol and frustration, Monk pens what he considers to be a horrible book sending up all the stereotypes of these books he can’t stand. Published under a pen name, it becomes a best seller feeding the cultural beast and his own guilt.
There is some terrific satire throughout this movie as well as some great humor. Jeffrey Wright is stellar and will likely get some Best Actor nods. The rest of the supporting cast is top notch as well. I really enjoyed this movie and I could tell the movie makers had some fun putting together the third act. I had a good time with the movie and think there are some interesting messages to process.
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