SMALL WORLD
Sometimes I think I'm James Lileks minus the talent.A couple of weeks or maybe a month ago, he bleated that he'd watched Ghost Ship over the weekend, and generally liked it. I'd watched it the same weekend, and generally liked it. His written take was just about spot-on with my unwritten one.
Now, he says he watched Red Dragon over the weekend, and liked it. Guess what? I watched Red Dragon over the weekend, and much to my surprise I liked it too. It's better than Silence of the Lambs, actually, and muuuuuch better than Hannibal (which I hated). It was a predictable gross-out; Red Dragon is a true thriller. Hannibal Lecter works much better as a caged maniac than one that's dining on the loose. But like Mr. Lileks, I also didn't care for Edward Norton's acting. He's pretty weak when surrounded by the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Ralph Fiennes and Harvey Keitel.
If Lileks admits that he also watched Undercover Brother--and liked it--the same weekend he watched Red Dragon, it will be proof that he and I are on some kind of mystical mind-link. Now, if I could just manage to swipe some of his amazing way with words...
Yes, I am admitting that I watched Undercover Brother--and liked it--this past weekend. I expected to hate it, but I didn't. UB is probably the most politically incorrect movie in years, taking pot shots at black conspiracy theories, white street lingo emulation, ebonics, stereotypes and general cluelessness. UB even fights an actual character called "The Man" who is, surprise surprise, working to keep the black man down. UB manages to rip off Austin Powers (which I loathe) but is much funnier, more pointed, more entertaining and less juvenile. It's James Bond as a blaxpoitation film that makes fun of James Bond and blaxpoitation films. And it has Denise Richards, whose wooden acting is for once completely appropriate to the part. I can't say I recommend it as family viewing, but if you have a couple of hours to kill you could do worse than Undercover Brother. It made me laugh, often, and loud.