I'm posting this in honor of February which is Black History month. This profiles the Black actor/ director Jordan Peele.
Feb. 24, 2017 "Do unto the others": Today I found this movie review by Liz Braun in the Edmonton Journal:
Horror and social satire are a great mix. Get Out is a clever film about a black guy meeting his white girlfriend’s family, and it manages to be both comical and scary. Under all that is razor-sharp commentary on contemporary race relations.
Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), is nervous about meeting Rose’s parents for all the usual reasons, and then there’s that race elephant in the room.
But Rose (Allison Williams), assures him that her parents don’t have a racist bone in their bodies. They’re sophisticated liberals, her folks — mom (Catherine Keener), is a psychiatrist and dad (Bradley Whitford), is a surgeon.
But Chris is uncomfortable to discover that Rose’s parents have a black gardener and a black maid at their house in the country.
Oh, don’t be silly, says Rose — Walter and Georgina (Marcus Henderson and Betty Gabriel), are more like part of the family than servants.
Maybe so, but their behaviour is odd.
Chris’ discomfort increases at a garden party where the middle-class white guests fall all over themselves to show how colour blind they are. Weird little incidents are building up, and Chris is increasingly anxious about being stuck in the middle of this vaguely menacing environment.
The only other black people he encounters all seem strangely ... controlled somehow.
His suspicions about something nefarious going on are soon confirmed.
Get Out is written and directed by Jordan Peele — better known as half the comedy duo Key and Peele, with Keegan-Michael Key — and it’s a directorial debut. The screenplay is a masterpiece of subversion, laced with race-based fears and notions of stereotype that are played for laughs, but hit home.
Chris is subjected to seemingly benign comments that reveal white fears about black sexual prowess, athleticism, criminal tendencies, etc.
He laughs them off — just the usual stupidity — the way he laughs off his best friend’s (LilRel Howery), comical fears about white people.
Fear of the ‘other’ is pervasive. It’s laid out in a light and comical fashion, but as the horror side of the story blossoms and Chris has to fight for his life, violent action is required. Justified, in fact.
Maybe Get Out should be required viewing.
"Cheers for fears": Today I found this article by Bob Thompson in the Edmonton Journal:
Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key signaled the end of their five-season Key & Peele comedy collaboration with their movie Keanu last year.
Now, Peele is returning to the spotlight as first-time director and writer of the horror-comedy Get Out, which opens Friday.
In it, an African-American man (Daniel Kaluuya) meets the parents of his Caucasian girlfriend (Allison Williams) at their family estate. That’s when things get horribly weird in a Twilight Zone meets The Stepford Wives kind of way.
The 38-year-old Peele talks about his film during an interview in Los Angeles.
Q Why do a genre movie for your directorial debut?
A A great horror film for me is a such a powerful thing. Even in my comedy, I’ve always had a dark sensibility. I guess there’s a psychopath floating around in my brain.
Q Was it challenging to mix the comedy and the terror?
A Every little choice in the movie has some deeper meaning for me or a satirical reference of what it means to be black or white and the notions of what we think it is.
Q Was casting the two leads key?
A Oh yeah. That was really important. It took a while but I loved Daniel (Kaluuya) in Black Mirror. And Allison (Williams) as Marnie in the series Girls is the great jumping off point for her Get Out character, who is a privileged but sassy city girl.
Q Some of the white stereotyping is exaggerated. True?
A Yeah, but I do poke fun at various black clichés, as well.
Q Would you say you are encouraging audience participation in Get Out?
A Absolutely. This is about crafting a movie that satisfies the seasoned horror veteran as well as somebody who hasn’t necessarily fallen in love with the genre like I have. I want to get them involved.
Q How involved?
A When it comes to the payback violence, I wanted to make sure the violence gets some cheers.
Q What was the priority?
A It was important to me that funny moments ring true. Everybody has to play it straight.
Q The timing might be right for something like Get Out. Do you agree?
A Part of the problem is when we discuss race in the U.S. these days, it seems to be such a feeling of defensiveness.
Q So?
A I’m hoping Get Out injects a little bit of relief in that conversation and shows we don’t have to take ourselves so seriously.
Q Do you have any plans to return to comedy as a performer?
A I’m not a fan of my comedy. It’s like hearing my voice on a recording. I never like it.
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