I had the opportunity to catch Constellation at The Roxbury Film Fest, as the festival's opening night feature and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone might not be interested in familial stories, but we've all had our bouts with relatives of one type or another. The mixture of an extremely talented ensemble cast, the universal theme of family drama and how well the movie was made make this film highly accessible on a variety of levels.
For those who are cinephiles, there are a few cinematic twists, especially with the use of flashbacks. Although this definitely isn't an experimental film, I did hear several filmmakers comment afterward that Walker-Pearlman broke a few of the usual film guidelines regarding character and plot set-ups. And might I add they agreed unanimously that it came together well!
The cinematography was beautiful and greatly added to the feeling of the film, making the generational impact that much more vivid and touching. Part of the reason why the various pieces fit so well together is because the film has heart. The director was very much invested in making a film that represented authentically the frailty of family relationships in a black middle class family struggling to find peace despite the weight of racism, regret and bitterness that has plagued them for generations in the south.
What impressed me most was that I was seeing a movie on the big screen (albeit in one local screening venue) depicting African Americans as emotionally complicated and diverse. I don't mind a comedy, sure we experience gang violence on many levels and we got pimps and hos, but where are black people at in their many skins and dynamic levels?
These days seeing a multi-dimensional, black character, let alone the majority of a cast with those qualities, on a wide screen is still revolutionary. I can't wait 'til I can tell people to head to their local movie theatre to see Constellation and later hear they bought it on DVD!
For those who are cinephiles, there are a few cinematic twists, especially with the use of flashbacks. Although this definitely isn't an experimental film, I did hear several filmmakers comment afterward that Walker-Pearlman broke a few of the usual film guidelines regarding character and plot set-ups. And might I add they agreed unanimously that it came together well!
The cinematography was beautiful and greatly added to the feeling of the film, making the generational impact that much more vivid and touching. Part of the reason why the various pieces fit so well together is because the film has heart. The director was very much invested in making a film that represented authentically the frailty of family relationships in a black middle class family struggling to find peace despite the weight of racism, regret and bitterness that has plagued them for generations in the south.
What impressed me most was that I was seeing a movie on the big screen (albeit in one local screening venue) depicting African Americans as emotionally complicated and diverse. I don't mind a comedy, sure we experience gang violence on many levels and we got pimps and hos, but where are black people at in their many skins and dynamic levels?
These days seeing a multi-dimensional, black character, let alone the majority of a cast with those qualities, on a wide screen is still revolutionary. I can't wait 'til I can tell people to head to their local movie theatre to see Constellation and later hear they bought it on DVD!