Reviews of ‘Head of State,’ ‘The Core’ and ‘Tears of the Sun’

By Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic

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So, what were you expecting? A buffoon?

As silly as Chris Rock’s "Head of State" can be, it is not as stupid as it is irreverent and sardonic toward all things White, wealthy or government-related. In this 95-minute romp, which could have been titled, "The World According to Chris Rock," sure, he takes jabs at Black men who sell stolen meat, at Black women who are husband hunters and at Black folks who have straight-up gone crazy. But he reserves his sharpest darts for the White powers that be who declare "God Bless America, and no place else."

He makes this mini political manifesto—in terms of career path, a step similar to Richard Pryor’s "Blue Collar"—through the comedic story of Mays Gilliam, a struggling, non-conformist alderman representing a low-income area of Washington, DC. (But it will be obvious to many folks in the Baltimore-Washington area that much of this was shot in Baltimore and not D.C. And since when does D.C. have aldermen instead of city council members?)

Anyway, the point is that Mays Gilliam represents a hip hop-styled public official and vision of government. As he goes about his day-to-day, not wearing the obligatory suit and tie and not playing by the rules, he really believes that government should be representative of the people and that he can make a difference. When Gilliam is improbably tagged to run for president of the United States, he takes his hip hop style, vision and idealism with him—and there is an ensuing comedy of errors and absurdity that has special overtones given these politically turbulent times.

For some, the idea that Gilliam’s candidacy is mocked might be proof positive that this film is degrading to Black people and that Rock is playing a buffoon. But, especially in light of the serious candidacies of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others, Black people aren’t being laughed at here. What is funny is the improbability of a funny hip hop presidential candidate wholly committed to the culture’s dress, language, music and dance, who might actually take a Nelly aesthetic to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. It is also the idea of a culture that prides itself on being raw and honest merging with the world of politics, which is all about the makeover, the cloak, polish and all kinds of deception. It would be just as improbable—and not considered racist—if Adam Sandler was a presidential candidate.

And besides, part of the beauty of this tale is that Gilliam and his co-horts, especially his brother Mitch, played by Bernie Mac, seem totally committed to keeping it real—and no campaign manager, news anchorman or political dirty tricks can intimidate them. So the new world order meets the ghetto world order.

In these new comedies that focus on race with interracial casts (for example, Rock’s "Down to Earth" and the current hit "Bringing Down the House"), taboo and stereotypes are fair game and are made large on the big screen. The jokes in "Head of State" aren’t as outrageous as they can be but the level of discomfort in the audience, Black or White, seems to stem from whether these movies joke more on White people or Black people, and whether the audience feels the filmmaker is laughing WITH them, or AT them.

This movie might not be enjoyed by all the White folk who began loving Rock after he made his joke, much heralded in reactionary circles, about how he loves Black people but hates "n****rs," who always mess it up for Black people. If it helps at all to do any type of score-keeping, "Head of State," just like "Down to Earth"—both collaborations with the same writer Ali LeRoi—enjoys digging at old, rich White folks. LeRoi and Rock like positioning the ruling class to ape hip hop culture in a manner that evokes laughter but is getting a little tired. As much as I might laugh, I’m sure White folks are tired of being reminded how stiff, un-hip and uncoordinated they are. What if it was a running joke in movie after movie that some Black folks can’t speak proper English or that some Black people hate their natural hair?

Rock saves himself in "Head of State" by going after a bigger fish than culture and style. In his own way, he speaks truth to a greater power. As he talks about economic injustice, which cuts across lines of race, he is cutting more than joking.

And not everyone will laugh.

The Terrestrial

There are some fast-paced scenes and very good jokes in "The Core." One eye-popping sequence involves scores of pigeons that are whipped into the kind of cinematic frenzy not seen since Alfred Hitchcock’s "The Birds." And one of the best jokes, among many little jokes tucked into the script, revolves around the lanky post-adolescent named "Rat" (D.J. Qualls), who is compensated for expert computer hacking with "Xena" tapes and Hot Pocket snacks.

But, alas, a movie that purports to tell a story about the possible end of the world needs more than wow action and some laughs. At some point, a doomsday flick has to convince us that we are supposed to take it seriously and, unfortunately, "The Core" isn’t consistently convincing. I wished that I could take it seriously, at times I did, but then some loopy science, like exploding nuclear weapons deep inside the earth, or flat dialogue, or uninspired performances, or moments when the production looked cheesy, would make me a non-believer.

The story is that the earth’s protective magnetic field and atmosphere are rapidly deteriorating and geophysicist Josh Keyes (Aarton Eckhart) discovers that the breakdown is being caused because the earth’s inner core has stopped spinning. In a desperate move—because the planet could be incinerated at any moment—Keyes and a crew of scientific and military types board a special craft designed to tunnel to the center of the earth. The idea is that several powerful nuclear explosions will set the core to spinning again.

In order for the drama and action to work, we are supposed to really feel the crew but Maj. Rebecca 'Beck' Childs (Hilary Swank) seems like a privileged little snot. Her commanding officer, Col. Robert Iverson (Bruce Greenwood), has about as much personality as one of Rat’s Hot Pockets. Big shot scientist Conrad Zimsky (Stanley Tucci) is purposely so obnoxious that it’s hard to care about him at all. And you know a script and production have problems if Alfre Woodard even comes off as not quite real.

We are left with Rat, who is amusing, Keyes, who is a decent, smart man and Edward Brazleton (Delroy Lindo), who is at least likeable as a oddball scientist dedicated to building the craft that carries the crew. Other than the children’s T.V. show, "Smart Guy," this might be the first time I’ve seen a Black male play the brainiac scientist and Lindo, better known for being menacing or thuggy, plays a convincing nerd.

Most impressive in "The Core" are kamikaze birds, the amazing images of Rome and the Golden Gate bridge, the suspenseful shuttle landing and the often imaginative creation of the what the inner earth might look like. The movie has its share of dazzle but it leaves the viewer with an ambivalent attitude toward humanity. It leaves us filled with lots of froth but feeling a little empty or hollow.

The War-Torn

"Tears of the Sun" fills us with the extreme horror and hope born of war. Despite its set-up of the great White savior, and troubled depictions of women, Muslims and dissenters, it is a remarkable, riveting film that gives images and voice to African pain and suffering. It is the first film that I can think of that has made its focus the brutal civil wars that have torn asunder countries throughout the continent.

Set in Nigeria, this film tells a fictional story about a civil war between the Muslim Fulani rebels and the Christian Ibos. The Ibo president and his family have been assassinated by the Fulani rebels, who are moving across the country on a campaign of genocide and "ethnic cleansing." In one Christian mission, there is an American doctor, Lena Kendricks (Monica Belucci), and the Pentagon orders Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) and his team to go in and retrieve her. When Kendricks refuses to go without the refugees at the mission, the soldiers, doctor and refugees set off on foot on a perilous journey to refuge in neighboring Cameroon. In the process, the group engages in lessons of survival and humanity.

As he did in "Training Day" and "Bait," director Antoine Fuqua proves that he is a master of suspense and nonstop motion of a story. And even though battle scenes are highly charged and unsparing, the most heart-rending moments are those that stop to consider the innocent victims of war--murdered and tortured men, women and children.

Of course we largely approach this conflict through the eyes of White Americans, more specifically the military establishment, and this means that we come into Africa with people who have contempt for her. Waters declares that "God Left Africa a long time ago" and his attitude is probably representative of how most White Americans view Africa--as a problem place full of problem people.

An American perspective is even more troubling because, the United States has not actually acted as "a savior" in the recent bloody civil wars, particularly those in Rwanda. Also, the set up of Muslim villains is suspect given Hollywood's declared intention to support the U.S. government's "war against terror." (This is the first of several war, terrorism or spying flicks coming out this month. Be on the lookout for "The Hunted," "Buffalo Soldiers," "Basic" and even a kiddie spying flick, "Agent Cody.") "Tears of the Sun" does not feel like naked propaganda, as did "Blackhawk Down," but it does paint supposed Muslims as heartless murderers, torturers and rapists.

It also sets up Kendricks as an impetuous woman who puts herself and others in danger. Time and time again, the film makes her into a complainer and trouble-maker, a film version of a "bleeding heart liberal," who must eventually concede to the wisdom and strength of the military. There is a subtle interrogation of patriotism, loyalty and heart here and all the answers aren't easy or pro-war. Even though Kendricks is shown as a somewhat of a reckless ditz, Waters must also confront the issue of "following orders" as he veers from his original mission and escorts the refugees. The film allows for the possibility that sometimes for soldiers to do the right thing, they must disobey orders. Waters, ultimately, is shown as a man and soldier caught in the middle, between stern orders and the dictates of his conscious. This internal conflict, even with questionable images of female fickleness and African hopelessness, makes this a film that does not outright preach flag-waving militarism.

Early scenes of refugees find them languid and listless. It is only later in the story, that we see Africans fierce and determined to fight for their own survival. A sense of African solidarity is powerfully depicted by Ellis "Zee" Pettigrew (Eamonn Walker), a Black soldier under Waters' command. Pettigrew declares that the people they are fighting for are "his people" and that he fights on their behalf.

Esther Iverem's reviews often appear on BET.com and Africana.com.

-- March 28, 2003

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