Idlewild
directed by Bryan Barber
directed by Bryan Barber
I think the big problem was that it greatly underestimated its probable audience's intelligence and patience and used far too many anachronistic music performances, language, and attitude.
It's as if the director, producer, and writers started out to do their best to make a African-American magical realism/musical in the vein of Chicago or Moulin Rouge before losing their nerve and deciding to include too much foul language or needlessly explicit violence aimed at the rap audience.
Still, upon rewatching this movie, I realized the film has a lot of sentimental melodrama in the best sense of the term.
I dare say a viewer might even shed a tear or two if they are not careful. Although some of the characters are not particularly well drawn the actors generally excel at making the viewer care about them.
Idlewild also has a strong message hidden within. Just so no one misses it the film uses Cooley High as a touchstone.
I am not sure if the creators specifically named this movie after the real life Michigan lakefront town of Idlewild that was a Black run resort area during the harshest days of segregation.
Similarly the movie's titular town is located in Prohibition era Georgia and apparently lacks any White presence.
I think I MIGHT have seen some Whites at the train station but otherwise the film makes absolutely no concession to the reality of segregation or White existence.
The film's two major protagonists are former childhood friends played by Outkast duo Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton.
Percival (Benjamin) works in his father's (Ben Vereen) mortuary by day and is a pianist by night at the local nightclub, Church. Percy is shy, quiet and dutiful.
Percy's also an incredible pianist and composer who could probably go on to bigger and better things if he had more confidence. There's a sadness and maybe even a weakness in Percy, one that has been cultivated, purposely or not, by his father.
Percy's good buddy Rooster (Patton) is an extroverted loudmouth who is both a club singer and something of an informal club manager. Rooster doesn't lack for confidence at all. Despite being married with five children Rooster routinely cheats on his wife with women customers or performers.
But Rooster will have to deal with more serious problems than an angry wife or a demanding mistress.
The sinister soft-spoken gangster Trumpy (Terrence Howard) murders Rooster's boss, club owner Ace (Faizon Love), and curtly informs Rooster that Rooster is now responsible for Ace's debt.
Also Rooster needs to buy all of his liquor and beer from Trumpy. Or else.
Howard nails this. Trumpy knows he's a bad man. And he likes being bad.
Meanwhile Percy is captivated by the va-va voom gorgeous newly arrived Angel Davenport (Paula Patton), a blues singer from Chicago who has a contract to perform at Church.
Angel's beauty is such that most men within 100 yards go out of their way to do her favors.
But Angel has a secret that only Percy can see. Percy and Angel take a liking to each other, something that Percy's father insists can only lead to ruin.
Sometimes this film was a chaotic mess but its heart was in the right place. A stronger more confident director would have greatly helped. The shows are impressive but as mentioned are generally anachronistic in very noticeable ways.
I think some of the themes of love, loss, and ambition probably resonate more with a slightly older audience than the 2006 Outkast audience. Still, the ending packed an emotional punch. I appreciate and understand this movie much better than I did in 2006. Cicely Tyson, Ving Rhames, Bill Nunn, Paula Jai Parker, Macy Gray, Patti Labelle, and Malinda Williams all have roles.
