Jeffrey Wright is endearingly funny delivering some of the best biting, sharp satire we’ve seen in a long time. Writer/Director of his first feature, Cord Jefferson puts a bullseye on the backs of the snobby literary, publishing and movie business, poking at those who follow the media herd.
Jefferson, known for his successful writing for TV (“The Good Place, Watchmen, Master of None”) adapted this, his first screenplay, from Percival Everett’s book “Erasure.” And it’s so smart. Watch our interview with Jefferson at Austin Film Festival about injecting humor into this, directing his first feature film, and working with Jeffrey Wright.
Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good. That’s what happens to Thelonius “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright). Monk is an intelligent, thoughtful writer and professor with incisive concepts and a wonderful writing technique. But nobody’s buying his books. When he sees Writer Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) getting a lot of attention on a TV talk show for her new book on the best sellers list, he’s both outraged and envious. She is a smart, strong Black woman who has figured out that there are financial rewards for dumbing down and writing a “street” book. It’s flying off the shelves.
Monk bemoans racial stereotyping in mass media, meeting with his agent, Arthur (John Ortiz) to, vent asking what he has to do to get the same attention. Monk’s publisher won’t even print his latest scholarly treatise. That’s when Arthur suggests he write a book following Sintara’s style. At first, he rejects it.
Monk takes his agent’s advice to follow Sintara’s formula. He creates a pen name and tongue firmly in cheek, cranks out his joke using all those tropes of Black street life, about being alcohol, gun violence, gangs and prison. In some of the funniest scenes, It’s very entertaining to watch Wright go through the machinations of playing counter character. The new publisher loves it and book flies out the door. Now Monk is hounded for interviews as his alter ego, but disguises his voice talking street dialect as a fugitive on the lam. Watching Wright is hilarious as he becomes more popular than he ever imagined.
In the meantime, Monk’s life is coming apart in Los Angeles. He’s frustrated and gets into a heated argument in class with a student over the “N” word which leads to more friction with the faculty requesting he take a leave of absence to figure out his life. He goes back home to the family beach house near Boston, where he meets more frustration.
Director Jefferson piles on family drama within the story with both of Monk’s siblings and his mother. Even though the overarching storyline of Monk’s book deals with race, Jefferson also makes this about family, trust and empathy which transcends race. The Ellisons are a family of high achievers, Monk, a professor and both his siblings are doctors.
His sister, Lisa (Tracy Ellis Ross) is overwhelmed dealing with her recent divorce and with taking care of their mother (Leslie Uggams) who is descending further into dementia.
Add to this the fiery relationship with younger brother, Cliff (Sterling K. Brown) who’s optometric practice and family life are also in disarray after his wife caught him in bed with another man. He hid being gay, which Monk and Lisa knew, but is now getting into more alternative lifestyles. Brown’s scenes as Cliff releasing pent up anger at his brother are some of the most powerful in the film showing both actors talent playing against each other.
As if Monk didn’t have enough on his plate, he interacts with his neighbor in Boston, Coraline (Erika Alexander), who becomes a love interest. She is a welcome distraction for him from the family turmoil, while dealing with his mother’s downhill slide. Uggams is still so naturally beautiful playing a tough role she handles so subtly with respect. Jefferson adds one more sweet love story adding joy to the mix between the mother’s home attendant Lorraine (Myra Lucretia Taylor) and family friend Van Go Jenkins (Okieriete Onaodowan).
Jeffrey Wright is stellar delivering Cord Jefferson’s smart satire on race, love, family trauma while poking fun at literary, movie and media businesses with sharp humor that feels more like truth than fiction.
MGM 1 Hour 57 Minutes R
