Kevin Sampson 5/12/15 Kevin Sampson 5/12/15

Tribeca Film Festival '15: "Cronies" Review

If “Friday” met “Baby Boy” on a blind date to see “Boyz In the Hood”, the resulting love child would be “Cronies”. As complicated as that equation is, it perfectly sums up the influences and themes the film explores like friendship, loyalty, personal evolution, not letting the past define you, and masculinity. Executive produced by Spike Lee, “Cronies” is the second feature length film from Michael Larnell and likely won’t be the last.

The low budget film is shot in black and white, and uses color to highlight major events much like “She’s Gotta Have It”. Covering the course of a day in St. Louis, the film starts at the home of Louis (George Sample III). Louis is trying to get on the good foot after making a promise to his girlfriend. They are raising a daughter together, and plan to celebrate her birthday the next day. Jack (Zurich Buckner) is Louis’s uncouth, hot headed, live-wire friend. It’s obvious that they were probably best friends at a point, but it’s not quite clear what is dividing their relationship in the beginning of the film.

Andrew (Brian Kowalski) is Louis’s stiff, white co-worker from the local car dealership. When Andrew stops by to hang out with Louis, Jack takes it upon himself to inquire as to why. From there, Jack becomes the third wheel as he pushes his way into Louis and Andrew’s activities for the day. It’s an uncomfortable ride as Jack grills Andrew with questions like a jealous ex-girlfriend. Perhaps Jack feels that Louis is moving on in their friendship, and he doesn’t want to be left behind. Regardless, Andrew keeps his cool and stays on Jack’s good side, while Louis barely talks at all.

As the day goes on, Andrew slowly wins favor and a mutual tolerance with Jack. It could be the half naked girl, high on ecstasy, who swims in the pool at Andrew’s friend’s house. It could be because Andrew isn’t afraid to “holla” at random chicks Jack points out. It could be because “Andy” (as Jack calls him) keeps giving him squares (cigarettes) and let’s him smoke his weed when he asks. In all these instances Jack asserts his masculinity for the world to see. It’s in these moments that Larnell examines the perception of masculinity. Whether and how you rise to the occasion seems to define the trios level of manhood and perhaps establish the alpha in the group.

Each character hides behind a costume. Whether it’s Louis’s glasses, Jack’s shades and hat, or Andrew’s clean cut look, everyone uses their exterior wardrobe to shield themselves. It’s something we all do. It’s in Larnell’s one on one, man on the street interviews that their shields are set aside and their true identity is pierced by Larnell’s searing questions. In one scene, Larnell asks Louis if he’s in love with his girlfriend. It takes him a while to admit it and he finally concedes but not without a coinciding statement that asserts he’s not soft. Jack actually takes has his sunglasses off while answering a question. The man on the street interviews serve as story building emotional beats that work.

By the next day, the trio has been through enough to continue their friendship, proving that experiences build relationships. Louis and Jack have squashed their beef, and Andrew is a part of the family. The guys have matured just a little bit and regardless of if they continue to evolve as men, for the moment, they have.

Rating: B-

Kevin Sampson 4/27/15 Kevin Sampson 4/27/15

Tribeca Film Festival '15: "Live Fast Draw Yung", a Missed Opportunity

One short film that came out of Tribeca this year that I couldn’t shake was “Live Fast Draw Yung”. The film stars Yung Lenox, a 7 (now 8) year old hip hop portraitist who, thanks to his father’s aid, has risen to notoriety in certain hip hop circles. It played as a part of the Be Yourself shorts screenings. The irony is that Yung Lenox isn’t a hip hop lover by choice and inspiration, but by his father’s influence.

While the film displays Lenox’s talent and artwork, it’s not from his perspective. Instead, it’s entirely narrated by his father, Skip Class. The moment a filmmaker picks up a camera, they’re going to shape a story. The story directors Stacy Lee and Anthony Mathile created could have been shaped by Lenox, or shaped in a way that shows his passion for hip hop and his craft but it wasn’t. “Live Fast Draw Yung” has a punk feel with a hip hop twist and a cute kid at the center of it. So if you get swept away in the smoke and mirrors of it, you may miss the fact that Lenox is just a kid in a world created by his father.

So why did the film stick with me? As a hip hop lover, it was evident to me that the drawings Lenox creates could only come from a hip hop lover of a certain age. Lenox isn’t old enough to know some of those classics, so he was pointed in the right direction. No matter how many photo ops Lenox has with rap stars, how the film is shot in a hip hop style, or clothes he wears, Lenox isn’t hip hop. His father loves hip hop and he found a great way to turn a business out of his son’s passion for drawing. Sadly, in its attempt to pose as a film about a phenomenal, young hip hop portraitist, it actually misses the opportunity to tell the story of one of the biggest love letters from father to son.

The apparent thread throughout the film is that Skip loves and adores his son. A chance instagram share of his son’s artwork turned into a business opportunity for the two to work together in a way any good father would love to do. Their collaboration has become so successful that there is now a short documentary focused on them opening at Tribeca! It's one father's love that made dreams come true. That’s something special, and the real story to be told. As a hip hop lover I squirm seeing the spin put on Lenox’s “talent” as hip hop’s Carvaggio, because he's actually just a kid drawing the pictures he's been told to draw. As a father I totally get the love that has propelled Skip to put his son out there, and try to instill lessons of confidence, business and hard work. The film is polarizing, but the message is mixed...or should I say missed? Sometimes even a film should dig deep and “Be Yourself”.

Kevin Sampson 4/24/15 Kevin Sampson 4/24/15

Tribeca Film Festival '15: "Stranded in Canton" Review

Independent cinema allows us to be presented with characters who are typically underrepresented on the big screen. With “Stranded in Canton”, writer/director Mans Mansson gives us an interesting character study in Lebrun (Isibango Iko Lebrun), a Congolese farmer whose dreams for a better life both propel him forward and blind him simultaneously.

Lebrun is a wanna be entrepreneur who believes every excuse that comes out of his mouth and hopes you will too. In fact, he’s counting on it. His most recent endeavor finds him stranded in China after ordering a large amount of t-shirts for the election back home in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unfortunately, he receives them after the election has passed and with boxes full of shirts that say vote for a president who can not run for office again, Lebrun has to figure out a plan B.

Lebrun doesn’t have much time to figure things out. Wassim (Wassim Hasbini), an overweight storage space owner who rides a moped to travel a few yards away, wants the money he’s owed for holding the t-shirts in storage. The Chinese want the money for making the t-shirts, and Lebrun makes calls to an elder back home who he’s seemed to promise a watch and an engine at least. As the movie continues it becomes more apparent that Lebrun doesn’t really have a plan, and may not have had one when he ordered his shirts, outside of selling them for a profit.

Sylvie (Sylvie N’Dya) is a fellow African living in China, and the one person who takes the time to listen to Lebrun and give him advice. She has her own shop and the wisdom that comes along with it. Yet when she tells Lebrun the truth about his shirts (possible failure), he continues to push forward off of his half-baked idea to make money with an eerie sense of calm and a desire to prove his worth as a businessman.

Mansson has complete control of the direction of the film. He uses pacing and extreme close ups as tools, forcing us to focus on what he wants. In a film in which so many different languages are spoken, he understands that sometimes the eyes convey what the lips are saying. While the film is subtitled, its visuals speak volumes. He let’s moments within the film play out to the point of exhaustion in a way that feels more like a documentary than a fictional narrative.

While we’re left with a real look at what an unskilled businessman looks like, the film spends too much time in the same position. There are not many new developments in plot, nor a major conflict. Everyone wants their money, but there’s not a real threat to Lebrun to give it to them. While the film does raise questions of politics and what success is, it struggles to bring it all together. Like Lebrun, “Stranded in Canton” is a great idea running off fumes rather than cinematic fuel.

Rating: C

Now playing: https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/stranded-in-canton-2015