As a longtime fan of Jeffrey Wright, from his film debut as Basquiat, to his take on Felix Leiter in James Bond films, to his subdued but effective performance in Syriana, to his rare villainous role in Boardwalk Empire, the actor brings a unique touch to all of his performances.
In American Fiction, he plays Monk, a cynical historical novel writer and professor, constantly perplexed by the overly sensitive attitudes regarding race by his students. Hip hop culture is invading the literary world, so as a joke Monk writes a novel, using a pseudonym, that ends up with a title that cannot be written in this review. The book becomes the hottest item in the country, with the expected movie option of course.
But the film is not just about Monk's crazy new book. It is also a family drama and includes very real problems, including his mother who is succumbing to Alzheimer's, an irresponsible, recently out of the closet surgeon brother, and a complicated new love interest (complicated because Monk is keeping the truth about his "joke novel" a secret to those close to him).
The movie is an amusing statement on pop culture in this country and the awards of Wright and Sterling K. Brown (as Monk's brother) are much deserved.
In American Fiction, he plays Monk, a cynical historical novel writer and professor, constantly perplexed by the overly sensitive attitudes regarding race by his students. Hip hop culture is invading the literary world, so as a joke Monk writes a novel, using a pseudonym, that ends up with a title that cannot be written in this review. The book becomes the hottest item in the country, with the expected movie option of course.
But the film is not just about Monk's crazy new book. It is also a family drama and includes very real problems, including his mother who is succumbing to Alzheimer's, an irresponsible, recently out of the closet surgeon brother, and a complicated new love interest (complicated because Monk is keeping the truth about his "joke novel" a secret to those close to him).
The movie is an amusing statement on pop culture in this country and the awards of Wright and Sterling K. Brown (as Monk's brother) are much deserved.