SOMETHING THE LORD MADE (2004)

SHORT REVIEW: Serious and heartfelt, this movie wants to inspire and delivers. This is a good movie. However, it lacks visual strength and style and the script is at times flat and listless. However, the topic is riveting and Alan Rickman and Mos Def offer performances that compensate for the weak script. The story involves a large amount of medical drama, which in many cases doesn’t translate well to screen. Thanks to the performances, this one manages to be worth while. The movie tells the story of Dr. Alfred Blalock’s (Rickman) and Vivien Thomas’ (Mos Def…or is that Mr. Def?) work to find a cure for “blue babies” while living under a segregated society. I give this film credit for one thing, it didn’t pander once. In films about race it is very easy for the filmmakers to treat the audience either like: a) children who need to be told to love one another or b) viciously racist children who need to told to love one another. Often filmmakers make the mistake of assuming the general audience hasn't moved in their views on race since the time prior to The Civil Rights Era. This film also lacks something that is in the DNA of most films involving race relations – the proud white liberal who comes to save the day for those darn oppressed blacks. This is most obvious in Civil Rights Era pieces such as Ghosts of Mississippi. American Africans are oppressed by overweight white Southern crackers and white East-coast liberals sweep in and beat back the ugly head of racism. We can’t get big films made about Medgar Evers but we have a dozen celebrating the underdog civil right court battles of New York liberal lawyers. Hey look at me, I am way out in left field. Let me come back. Mos Def (a.k.a. Dante Bezé, Bizet Dante, Smith Dante, MosDef, Dante Terrell Smith, Dante Smith and/or Black Star) is one of my favorite young actors. He has a presence and delicacy he brings to his roles that I find fascinating. He is in full effect in this movie and brings a heart to the piece that would otherwise be missing. The film as a whole is timid but not a complete waste of time. It certainly will be forgotten as time goes on but that shouldn’t discourage you from seeing it. There is some good being done in this film, it just isn’t resounding. RELATED REVIEW: Another Mos Def movie Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (2005) Categories: film, movie, DVD, Mos Def, Alan Rickman, Something The Lord Made