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Flash Movie Review: Shirley
I WAS AWARE SHE WAS THE only girl in the class, but I thought nothing else about it. However, the boys in the class had a problem with it. I was signed up for day camp because I refused to go to an “away” camp during my elementary school’s summer vacation. There was a list of different activities I could sign up for that would then be spread across the weeks I was attending. The camp was at our community center; I could either ride my bicycle on good days or get a ride from a group of neighborhood parents that volunteered for carpooling duty. Some of the activities I attended, like swimming, only had boys in the class; others, like archery, had both boys and girls. I never thought anything about it. Any swimming lessons I attended always had boys participating, and campfire skills class always had a mix of boys and girls. This woodworking class was different because there was only one girl in it. Either the classes were filled with one gender or a mix; there never was only one or two in class that were of the opposite gender. I wondered if woodworking was supposed to be a boy’s activity. The boys in the class did not interact with her or help her out like they did with each other. I was stationed too far away, so had little contact with her myself; but I felt sad for her. LATER IN LIFE WHEN I STARTED working in the fitness industry, I discovered men were a minority. At one private club, they did not even have a locker for me to change outfits; I had to do it in the bathroom. I cannot honestly say if I experienced any prejudices because I was a man. If a female member did not want to be taught by a man, she simply would not come to class. After I went back to school for yoga, I was the only male instructor, sometimes the only instructor who was teaching yoga classes in the fitness centers where I worked. I did feel not only a sense of responsibility but a pressure because I was laying down the foundation for what members would be expecting out of a yoga class. It was an exciting and thrilling time for me as I saw how yoga was affecting the participants. Though the classes started out with females being the majority, as word spread, I started seeing more and more men trying it out. I do not want to say I was a trailblazer, but I can honestly say I changed many people’s perceptions of yoga. There is something about being the first and seeing how one’s actions can change the minds of many people, just like the main character did in this biographical historical drama. SHE WAS ALREADY THE FIRST BLACK woman to be elected to congress; and with her record and the things she had seen, why couldn’t she run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination? With Regina King (The Harder They Fall, Flag Day) as Shirley Chisholm, Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise, White House Down) as Wesley McDonald, Terrance Howard (Cardboard Boxer, Hustle & Flow) as Arthur Hardwick Jr., Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) as Robert Gottlieb and Michael Cherrie (She Paradise, Limbo) as Conrad Chisholm; Regina King gave it her all in creating a powerful character based on a true person. Soon into this film, I lost track of Regina and thought I was following Shirley. I understood the story focused on her presidential run, but I never really got a sense of the characters and what their relationships were to each other. A better script could have helped because several scenes felt like short video clips of Shirley’s life, instead of digging deeper into what was taking place inside of her and the people around. Because the story is so remarkable, I maintained interest all through the picture. In a case like this, I would enjoy seeing a prequel and sequel to what I had just seen.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Four Hours at the Capitol
WHILE WE WERE LINING UP INTO groups, the line monitors kept reminding us not to engage with any protesters. I thought it was ironic since we were about to stage a protest march. There were thousands of people maneuvering into place; I had two friends with me in my group. The volunteers who were chosen to be the line monitors were handing out a list of safety tips to everyone who walked into the staging area, along with reminding us to stay hydrated. Every group I could see from my location had people in them holding banners and signs. While we waited for our start time, volunteers dressed in those yellow hazard vests kept walking by to remind us that this was a peaceful march. Since I was curious about what kind of protesters are we supposed to not engage with, I stopped one of the volunteers to ask him. He told me there was a group of protesters who were known to instigate physical encounters so they could then file legal suits against individuals, protest organizers and city officials in the hopes of getting money either by winning the lawsuit or agreeing to a settlement. I was appalled by this and had to ask how these protesters incite reactions. He said they shout out a variety of vulgarities to rile up a person, besides spitting at them. I was not looking forward to crossing their path. WE WERE ALL IN PLACE BY our start time. There was a certain energy in the air that felt exhilarating to me. Being in the middle of a mass of people with like minds was heady; each of us were there to focus on a common issue we all shared. The beginning of our walk was easy to navigate as we had quickly moved from a park to a main thoroughfare. There were photographers and news reporters scurrying back and forth as they were trying to document and catch a perfect moment. It was not long before I heard a different tone of sound coming up ahead. I was used to the different chants and sayings being uttered around me; however, this sound had an ominous note. A line monitor was shouting reminders to not engage. There up ahead was the group of protesters we were warned about. They were pointing at individuals in the march, yelling obscenities at us. The homemade signs they held in the air depicted vile images. The level of hatred being displayed was unsettling to me. We were protesting for better rights and these people were wishing us dead; it made no sense to me. It was so extreme that I could not wait to pass them by. I did not think I would see such extreme behavior on display ever again, but that was not the case since I watched this eye-opening documentary. WHILE ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE INSIDE THE capitol to certify the presidential election, a mob of people were outside trying to get in. Directed by Jamie Roberts (The Fires That Foretold Grenfell, War Child), this film used a variety of footage and recordings from both the individuals inside and outside the capitol building. I am sure most of us have seen footage shot on January 6th; but I must tell you, the scenes and conversations I saw in this movie were a different level of disturbing for me. It did not appear as if the movie studio tried to sway the story favorably to one side or the other; it just came across as a series of live events that got captured on camera. While I try to avoid any political debate, I just want to say I still cannot get over the level of extreme emotions I saw in this picture. It left me sad that there seems to be absolutely no middle ground in this country. I will keep my personal feelings to myself and simply say I am not comfortable seeing hatred at such an extreme level.
3 ¼ stars
moviejoltz 