Ma Rainey's Black Bottom--Movie Review (Non-Spoiler)

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom--a film adaption of the play by acclaimed playwright August Wilson (Fences, The Piano Lesson)--comes to us from Netflix and director George C. Wolfe (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks).  The film stars Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in Oscar-worthy roles, and tells the story of "trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band [who gather] at a recording studio in Chicago in 1927," while tensions rise. 

Going into this film, I did not know what to expect, as I was never introduced to this particular August Wilson play, and I was anxious to see Chadwick Boseman in his final performance.  I cannot tell you why, exactly, but I felt a certain heaviness before viewing.  And while there are moments throughout to justify that feeling, I can assure you it was not because of a sick or feeble Chadwick.  He truly shines here, and proves why he is a cinematic legend, and why he will remain one.

You can say the same for Viola Davis, too.  Her snappy and soulful Ma Rainey is a sight to behold.  She not only gives one of the year's best performances, but, in my opinion, one of the best performances of the last ten years.  If these two actors do not at least get Oscar nominations, then there is some serious reevaluating to do.  The whole cast was stellar, but these were the standouts.

Without August Wilson, though, we would have never got to see any of these performances come to fruition.  He is the glue that holds everything together.  He is what gives the film its voice.  That is because his dialogue is so rich and so deeply layered that he can make you laugh in one line and gut punch you in the one directly after.  He's that good, and I am sure he would more than approve of how his work turned out cinematically.  This is the best film adaption of his since Fences.  (The film that earned Viola Davis her first Oscar.  Keep that Oscar dress on standby, Viola.)

If I had to give any "criticisms," I would only say that I wanted to see more of these characters--especially in the final moments of the film.  I do not know if additional time spent with them would have made more or less of an impact, but I was so immersed and invested that I did not want to leave (take that as you will).  However, you can tell why August Wilson chose to go where he did with the story, and there is no denying his brilliant thematic focus.

Overall, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a powerhouse of a film that is one of the best of the year.  

"A one, a two, a you know what to do..."

Go check out Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, now streaming on Netflix.  It is one of the most important films of the year.

I give it a...

4.5/5