I keep calling this movie ‘Big Mamma’s Black Ass’; what is it actually called? Oh, I’m not far off. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is looking like high priority viewing with award season in mind, and the last movie I’ll sneak in before the end of 2020 – bad luck Nomadland, and The Midnight Sky, and many others I’d love to see but won’t make the cut. The trailer for this movie gives me a great feeling; let’s see where it takes us.
A support band, consisting of Cutler (Colman Domingo), Toledo, (Glynn Turman), Slow Drag (Michael Potts) and Levee (Chadwick Boseman), assemble at a recording studio, awaiting Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) to come in and do her thing. Levee has got a strong sense of his future, and conflict begins when he and industry manager Irwin (Jeremy Shamos), try to convince Rainey they should record his arrangement of the song, ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.’ Ma Rainey don’t let anyone last on her bad side, knowing that she brings the goods with her voice and reputation, and always assures her demands are met, or she walks. This proud black woman even walks up on a cop in her introduction, in a movie set in 1920’s Chicago, so there’s no doubt that when Rainey is mean, Rainey means business. Ma Rainey can go from being a boss, to sucking the air out of a room through stubbornness. Similarly, Levee is extraordinarily charismatic, but at a wrong word, he becomes a real wild child. George C. Wolfe brings us Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Ever since I saw Colman Domingo on Fear the Walking Dead, I’ve known him as the smoothest man in Hollywood, but Chadwick Boseman and his character, Levee, outshine even Domingo in this picture; no contest. I hope it’s not offensive to say; Boseman is like the black rebel-without-a-cause in this movie, and with the unfortunate context of his passing aside, and with this being his last-ever performance, I truly mean that as a massive compliment – any comparison to the legendary James Dean should not be made lightly. Boseman brings the most energy to this movie, and if anything, this final role is a complete celebration of his life and artistry; it’s an expert and wonderful performance. To his equal, and not to be outdone, I feel like Viola Davis was born to play Ma Rainey. Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad, and Davis’ ball-busting teacher on How to Get Away with Murder were just warm-up gigs for this role, as brazen Ma Rainey is the real deal …It’s time to consider Viola Davis one of the best actresses of our era, I say, knowing that to some, I’m really late to the party. She transforms; I think she’s put on a bit of chub to gain the physical presence of this role, but it’s all in the thick black eye make-up for me, cementing Rainey as larger than life, perhaps even God-like in the context of this movie’s themes.
Just like Fences, I picked early that this movie was based off a play; I think it’s in the rhythm of the dialogue, and the comfortability with which a movie stays in one location, that make it apparent. For Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, some of the emotional transitions are choppy, where Levee will suddenly get super serious, seemingly out of nowhere. There are moments where I wished the pacing would slow down, to give what these guys are saying more time to resonate; especially in the first half. I’m not convinced this movie always finds the best way to present itself to the audience either, with a lot of quick-edits giving us many camera angles, almost as if the movie stitched together too many takes, or wasn’t confident enough that the conversation alone was going to hold our attention – I often wonder when I’m noticing editing, if it’s for the wrong reasons, but I also think on repeat viewings it might become something part-and-parcel of the movie and not bother me so much.
Apart from these smallish complaints, everything else is fire; there are more than a few tense moments that made me sit to attention. That ending… and there’s a moment of symbology, where Levee is trying to bust through a door, that’ll stay with me for a while. Among other themes, like religion and the plight of the black man, the relationship between artist and producer is interestingly presented; I particularly like how Rainey details her recording sessions like a prostitute transaction, where the only thing the studio cares about is obtaining her voice, and how she’ll be tossed out once they’re done. Ma Rainey and Levee don’t actually spend that much time talking to each other, but they are clearly the stars of the show, and as their scenes interchange, it’s like being at a music festival where two excellent bands play on different stages, and wanting to be in two places at once to listen to them both. The supporting cast is truly supportive, rarely pulling focus but staying memorable as well through well-defined characters – Domingo, Glynn Turman, Jeremy Shamos and even Taylour Paige as well, as Ma Rainey’s girlfriend; quality.
Thinking on this movie’s finale the next day, I made a connection with Reality Bites, on the ways of youth and expectations. By the end, is it possible that Levee’s shoes could be as memorable as Dorothy’s in The Wizard of Oz? As least as memorable as Andy Dufresne’s shoes in The Shawshank Redemption surely, in the archives of cinema’s most iconic shoes. One thing is for certain, and you can take it to the bank; Al Pacino’s character from Heat would love to sing along with this music because Ma Rainey has a… ‘GREAT ASS!’ Expect to hear worthy praise for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom for months to come.
4.0
Leave a Reply