LaKeith Stanfield | Screenlife Reviews

With the current state of world politics, there may have never been a better time to release director Shaka King’s incendiary account of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton’s rise to power and the loss of that power at the hand of FBI informant William O’Neil. King’s film is as much a fascinating look into one pivotal moment in the history of the African-American movement for liberation as it is a powerful statement about the current plight of the Black community, highlighting some horrifying similarities between the 1960’s and 2021. Anchored by monumental performances from Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah is an intense and harrowing look at a man whose importance to the Black struggle in America cannot be understated; one that will leave you furious and hungry for reform.

When small-time criminal O’Neil (Stanfield) is caught by police attempting to steal a car while posing as a federal officer, he finds himself face-to-face with FBI agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons), who offers a choice between prison or working as an informant within the civil-rights activism group ‘The Black Panthers’. O’Neil takes the obvious option and soon finds himself indoctrinated by the Panthers in their revolutionary beliefs; inserting himself within the inner circle of the group’s young leader Fred Hampton (Kaluuya). As time goes on and O’Neil becomes an integral part of the Chicago chapter of the group – all the while feeding the FBI intel – he discovers that Hampton may just be the best man to lead his people to equality; the previously undecided bystander forced to pick a side in the war for representation. The screws begin to tighten when this newfound radicalism begins to threaten the FBI’s plans, and Bill is forced to make a difficult choice between the larger movement and his own self-preservation.

That inner conflict in O’Neil also offers a question to viewers that is as relevant in today’s politically contentious climate as it was in the 1960’s: are you content to sit back and watch oppression occur or will you get involved and be a force for good to solve it? It’s a big picture kind of question to ask and Shaka King and co. spend the two hour runtime making a very compelling case for liberation, showcasing the vile and underhanded inner-workings of the FBI at the time. The film itself may be beautifully shot but make no mistake this is a film that deals with ugly topics; namely one of the darkest, depraved chapters of American law enforcement history. The calculated stifling of the Black voice was and remains a horrible tragedy in American history, and King makes the eventual climax of that tragedy hit all the harder with the characterisation he gives O’Neil and Hampton.

Bill is far removed from the civil rights movement of his people when he is first apprehended by the police, content to make a living for himself doing whatever he needs to do to survive; a sad reality that was and is an all too common part of the Black story. Indeed Bill actually enjoys the duping of the Black Panthers for a time, viewing the entire ordeal as some sort of light-hearted game with Stanfield flashing sly smiles behind the backs of his Panther comrades when he bluffs through a sticky situation or escapes a shootout with police. Seeing the unjust arrest of Hampton and the FBI’s violent response changes something in O’Neil, forcing him to commit one way or the other, a prospect made all the more precarious with the FBI breathing down his neck. Stanfield is truly brilliant in these scenes, all nervous tics and sweaty, paranoid glances as he fears apprehension from both sides. A truly gripping scene involving O’Neill at the height of his paranoia is impossible to turn away from, with his terrified facial expression and jittering body making the outcome of a pivotal choice terrifying and unknowable, as King milks every last drop of tension out of the scene.

If Stanfield is our guide into the world of the Black Panther then Daniel Kaluuya’s Fred Hampton is the shadow that looms over every scene, at once as charismatic and arresting a performance as Denzel in Malcolm X. From the way he carries himself to the noticeable drop in the cadence of his voice before a tense discussion or speech Kaluuya is simply phenomenal, imbuing Hampton with a confidence and assuredness that bely his young age. The speeches in particular are the highlight of the film, with the iconic “I am a revolutionary” message striking a particular contemporary nerve given the recent bouts of white supremacy across the United States. The focus and energy Kaluuya carries in his eyes alone in these scenes – throwing it all out on the line as he makes his impassioned argument for peace – is incredibly representative of the fury and desperation seen today in Black Lives Matter protests across the country. A sobering realisation for audiences that not much has changed in the intervening years.

That’s not to say King’s film wallows in pessimism – it doesn’t. There is a flair to his direction; a stylisation to the informant storyline of O’Neill reminiscent of Spike Lee’s recent Blackkklansman but no less arresting. The camera swirls through the streets as we follow Bill bluffing his way to the top of the Black Panthers, capturing the side of him that no one else does through careful editing and musical cues. When things begin to go awry for Bill the menacing staccato Jazz notes that shriek against the stillness of the scene chill your blood; putting you on edge as you anticipate his next, potentially fatal move. Authentic costuming puts the viewer right into that late 60’s/early 70’s time period without being overly flashy and taking attention away from the performances of its stars, a rare skill that many period pieces could take a lesson from.

Judas and the Black Messiah is a triumph of filmmaking that explores one of the most influential figures in the African American civil rights movement in a way that ensures his message lives on in these troubling times. With Shaka King’s sure hand at the helm and career best performances from Kaluuya and Stanfield, this is a film that seeks to educate and entertain, achieving both through an intense story of betrayal, subterfuge and the moral divide between two people in the same marginalised group with wildly different outlooks on the world. There couldn’t be a more pertinent time for a film like this to be released, striking that raw nerve of society in a way that makes everyone look at themselves that little bit harder.

Judas and the Black Messiah stars Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Algee Smith, Dominique Thorne, Lil Rel Howery & Martin Sheen – In Australian cinemas March 11th and streaming on HBO Max and in US cinemas now.

It’s not often that Adam Sandler finds himself in a dramatic role, but when he does he goes all in. The Safdie Brothers’ latest high-octane, anxiety attack of a film Uncut Gems features the Sandman at perhaps the best he’s ever been – in his element as a disgruntled, obnoxious jeweller up to his neck in gambling debts and loan sharks surviving through sheer luck and quick wits. Excellently written to wring every last drop of tension out of the audience and with a stellar supporting cast, Uncut Gems stands as one of the most original films of the last decade, and although the pacing can dip slightly around the middle, the Safdie Brothers have created a gritty, confronting sophomore feature that rivals if not surpasses their breakthrough Good Time.

We enter this ride in the thick of it as expert jeweller Howard Ratner (Sandler) returns to his shop to find trouble in the form of two dangerous enforcers looking to collect on a debt owed to Arno (Eric Bogosian), Howard’s brother-in-law. The problem is Howard “doesn’t have the money right now” – a line that becomes something of a catchphrase for Sandler’s character throughout the film – and Arno’s goons promise to cause more chaos if they aren’t paid what is owed. Enter the titular gem; a magnificent multifaceted, multicoloured beauty which Howard has imported from Africa to sell at an auction for a cool million – money problems solved. That is until basketball star Kevin Garnett (as himself) of the Boston Celtics steps into the store and lays eyes on it, obsessing over the stone and begging to borrow it before the auction so that he can use its “luck” to help him win the game and the championship. Howard reluctantly agrees, releasing the stone and risking his future, and what follows is a series of increasingly horrifying and nerve shredding events as Howard does whatever he can to keep afloat with all his problems and come out on top.

What makes Uncut Gems so watchable and stops it from being a depressing story of despicable people doing despicable things is Sandler. Maybe it’s all the goodwill he’s built up from starring in classic comedies like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison but it’s almost impossible to root against the guy, even if he is doing things that would make most people’s stomach turn and isolate an audience. He gets by here by playing off both his extremes, mixing that always-yelling anger of his earlier comedy with the subtlety of his more dramatic work – Howard is as aggressive as they come; and he has to be to an extent to get by in his profession, but its the hunger and the level of greed he has that stop him from ever feeling fulfilled. Sandler shows us this in moments which should be happy for Howard – watching his daughter’s play or tucking his son in to bed – by undercutting them with a twitch and sudden need to be around something beneficial for him, his addiction. He is an addict and a broken person and Sandler plays it all beautifully, demonstrating how this affliction can build and build in a person until breaking point. He may never top this, the role seems written specifically for him, and it’s a crying shame he wasn’t even nominated for an Oscar for the performance.

Surrounding this epic performance is some damn fine filmmaking from the Safdie Brothers who go far bigger than their last, more contained feature. The stakes of Uncut Gems are far larger and more life and death and the film moves at a clip for the most part, lingering on specific visuals and people just long enough to make you feel uncomfortable. Certain spots around the middle to tend to drag slightly but it can be overlooked when the anchoring performance is so riveting. Shot to look somewhat grainy and dirty, the effect pays off to make the diamond district of New York look grimy and lived in. The supporting characters that live in it belong here, with LaKeith Stanfield at the top of his game as a hustler from the streets looking to hawk his stolen watches through Howard’s shop and Julia Fox as Howard’s mistress and employee who runs in multiple circles in order to make a name for herself outside the store. Everyone is self motivated and out for themselves, with no compunctions about who they have to go through to get out of their current situations. You get a true sense of this through the dialogue, where multiple people are constantly talking over each other, vying for their opportunity to be heard and appreciated. While this can be something of sensory overload at times it helps to sell both the world and the madness that is in Howard’s head, his addiction the only voice that can rise above the noise.

Uncut Gems is one of those films with a role so perfectly suited for an actor that it becomes a different beast, a showcase for their acting talent. Adam Sandler elevates the source material so much with his performance, partly due to his long presence in the industry and on our screens, that he becomes someone you actively root for, despite the awful way he treats those around him. The Safdie Brothers continue to show a flair for intense, nerve jangling stories that move at an incredibly fast pace, even if there are a few dips here and there, and it won’t be long before they earn the recognition they deserve. Ultimately Uncut Gems will be remembered for Sandler’s phenomenal performance and the Academy’s snub of it at the Oscars. Here’s hoping the Sandman has a few more of these left in him.

Uncut Gems stars Adam Sandler, Idina Menzel, LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Eric Bogosian, Kevin Garnett & Judd Hirsch – in cinemas in the US now and streaming on Netflix everywhere else.