Reviews of 'Johnson Family Vacation,' 'United States of Leland,' 'James' Journey to Jerusalem,' 'Silence of the Forest' and 'Dawn of the Dead.'

By Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor and Film Critic

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"Johnson Family Vacation"

All those Cedric the Entertainer fans out there who believe that the roly-poly comic stole the show in "The Original Kings of Comedy," will love "Johnson Family Vacation." This more soulful version of "National Lampoon's Family Vacation" (1983) allows Ced to strut his blossoming talents as a film comedic actor.

His strength as a funny man, which first shone through his role on "The Steve Harvey Show," is his ability to deliver dead-on a whole variety of idiosyncrasies and characters within the Black community. In one of his funniest gags in "Kings of Comedy," he played the part of a Black man who didn't know what the crowd was running from but, true to from, began running with them anyway. In "Barbershop," he was the quintessential old fool from the neighborhood offering wisdom that was not always wise. He offered more of the same in "Barbershop II"

In "Johnson Family Vacation," he switches to a straighter suburban persona as an insurance executive named Nate Johnson who is separated from his wife (Vanessa L. Williams) but is traveling with her and their children to a family reunion in Missouri. The couple's shaky marital status, the children's need-their-butt-beat behavior, plus predictable jokes that come when any family comes together, combine to make this film funny and entertaining without being crude.

Yeah, you know and I know that a real life Ced would not be pulling a real life Vanessa L. Williams, unless he had an NBA salary. But this odd match-up just adds to the humor, especially because Williams carries off the part so well, and especially because it allows Ced—playing a cameo role as a lecherous old uncle, a mechanic—is able to rattle off a host of one-liners that highlight the unlikely pairing. (Girrl, you look as good as a new case of motor oil!)

Of course, the film has its share of predictability and corniness. But the worst of these moments, an ill-advised sketch about Ced winding up nude in a hot tub, is fairly mild and not too offensive. He manages to joke his way out of, literally, hot water. The rapper and actor Bow-wow makes another film appearance here but, this time, as the teen-ager that he is, and he absolutely shines. If this was the 80's all over again, Bow-wow would be the top candidate to do the "Fresh Prince of Belair." He has the camera presence, good looks and fan base to carry the part. In "Johnson Family Vacation," he adds to the comedic mix and helps to make this film a good and largely wholesome laugh. (Parents, there is some not-so-subtle sexual innuendo but there is no sex or nudity).

In these days of weightier issues and concerns, chalk up "Johnson Family Vacation" as a lightweight, harmless and funny distraction.

"The United States of Leland"

There aren't many movies such as "The United States of Leland." that tackle both murder and the middle ground existence—between good and evil—of the killer. And there aren't many movies with a racially mixed cast that don't, at some point, rely on stereotypes and racist cynicism to hammer home their point.

But if there is such a rare film, you know Don Cheadle will find it and dive for the middle. This story, written and directed by newcomer Matthew Ryan Hoge, begins in the aftermath of a murder in Arizona committed by a smart, quiet and sensitive teenager named Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling). Leland is White and suburban, and no one, including Leland, can believe or understand why he did what he did. Enter Cheadle as Pearl Madison (after Earl the Pearl Monroe), a frustrated teacher-writer at the local juvenile detention center who befriends Leland with the idea that the boy's story could be the meaty basis for a novel.

Pearl's selfish motives, which lead to genuine concern for Leland, keep his character from morphing into a male version of a doting mammy—especially with a name like Pearl. Leland's cross-interrogation of Pearl about his shady love life leads Pearl to his own self-examination, and further keeps that surreal mammy halo from descending over his head. (Like he's so slavishly enamoured with the White kid at juvenile hall, instead of with all the Black and Hispanic boys rotting away there.)

Like Robin Williams and Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting," Cheadle and Gosling face off with each as worthy opponents, both dueling for self-understanding as much as understanding of the other. At the center of both the man and boy are profound disappointment and loneliness, which come spilling out, and which make them both jaded, quietly desperate and self-destructive.

Kevin Spacey is one of the producers here and, while that normally would send up a red flag that reads: jaded…sarcastic… nihilistic, young Hoge's story and direction keep the film feeling fresh and honest, rather than too slick for it's own good. Gosling, who some might remember from "Remember the Titans," is a treat to watch in this film, and so is Spacey.

Cheadle's role as Pearl is very similar to the one he played in "Manic" (2001). In that film, he starred as staff psychiatrist Dr. David Monroe, who was charged with helping a group of young Whites identify and manage their rage. You could say that these two latest roles are simply more of Cheadle giving the big assist to stories that are really about White people and their White people problems. But, with exception of "Mission to Mars," Cheadle has landed fine roles in recent years that allow him to stretch as an actor and present portraits of Black men who aren't caught up in the drug life, and are grappling with deep issues of crime, cruelty and compassion.

"James' Journey to Jerusalem"

With its unsentimental portrait of Israel's underground labor market, "James' Journey to Jerusalem" manages to be both attractive and repulsive.

Israeli writer-director Ra' Anan Alexandrowicz provides such a no-win scenario about the exploitation of undocumented labor that you cannot sit through its 90 minutes and not be taken aback by the ugliness of greed and desperation. On the other hand, acting newcomer Siyabonga Melongisi Shibe infuses the screen with such bright-eyed energy, and the process of money-scraping is so comically pathetic, that you cannot help but also laugh at one man's sojourn to the so-called "promised land.".

James is chosen by the church in his South African village Entshongweni to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, considered by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be a holy city. When we first meet James, he is sitting inside an Israeli immigration office and, with an air of innocence, he is asking the Jewish lady behind the desk, "Are you a Hebrew woman? From our lord's chosen people?" Moments such as these feel as though Alexandrowicz is mocking James and his naivete and predicament. Much of the story, though it has James at its center, is really about Israel and seen from the perspective of an Israeli.

At the immigration office, James is met with contempt. He accused of coming to the country to work illegally, then thrown into a prison filled with other immigrants. In prison, he meets the shady Mr. Shimi, who has cut a deal with a jail guard to release prisoners into his custody as laborers. The deal for all of those under Shimi's control is simple: either work or go back to prison. While James never gives up on his mission to see Jerusalem, he quickly adapts to and, to some degree, masters the world of underground labor. He is an unintended pilgrim to a "world" he hadn't intended to visit.

With bold strokes, Alexandrowicz contrasts romanticism about Israel's biblical significance with the dog-eat-dog life, lacking anything spiritual, of some of its residents. He is also frank about the racism of many Israelis, who refer to Africans as "blackies" and consider them obvious candidates for any sort of menial labor. Much of the story unfolds as James works day-to-day for Shimi's father, Salah, a white-haired crotchety fellow who lives in a shack and pines for his dead wife Miriam. Salah holds on desperately to his land and fends off the plan of Shimi and Shimi's wife to move him into an old folk's home. It is through this story line that the filmmakers explore most ideas about the sacred and profane, and what is valued and not valued in James' life and the lives of those he has met in this new land.

African songs about James' journey interspersed throughout, along with close-ups of storybook-type paintings, lend "James' Journey to Jerusalem" the texture of a parable. The storybook feel is only enhanced by Shibe's chiseled good looks that make him a dead ringer for the handsome prince on a mission, the hero we all rout for. This is an unsettling parable, that might be unsatisfying for us accustomed to Hollywood endings, because it does not make complete villains of the exploiters, or total heroes and winners of the exploited.

"The Silence of the Forest"

In "The Silence of the Forest," actor Eriq Ebouaney continues to tackle the tricky terrain of Africa's post-colonial history and politics. He made such a huge splash in 2000 with his powerful portrayal of slain Congolese president Patrice Lumumba, that this film, which is a meditation on social divisions among Africans, seems a natural next step for an actor dubbed the "Denzel Washington" of African film.

Here, Ebouaney plays the part of Gonaba, a man educated in France, who returns home to the Central African Republic to work as a school inspector. Though Gonaba acquires all the trappings of a well-off government official, he views the corrupt government rulers with contempt. He sits at official functions with a jaded eye, disgusted by the hypocrisy and superficiality surrounding him.

He is upset by the government's condescension toward indigenous cultures, particularly its treatment of the Babinga people, (referred to in the West as Pygmies). In a major turn in the story, he turns his back on business as usual and decides to go live among the Babingas, and it is at this point that "The Silence of the Forest" leaves the viewer behind. We lose some of our connection with Gonaba as the protagonist. We are not exactly clear of his mission. We watch him attempt to start a school. We watch him fall in love. Before we know it, he has been there for quite a long time and has gotten into trouble.

It could be argued that director Didier Ouenangare simply breaks out of the mold of simplistic Hollywood narrative and refuses to lead viewers along like sheep. We are given the opportunity to look at Gonaba from a different perspective. We are allowed to see him as not only a proud race man but also as a confused man who may harbor romantic notions about indigenous cultures that are condescending as well. On the other hand, any technique that causes us to lose connection with our main character weakens the film. Early in the story, Ouenangare makes extensive use of interior monologue to help us identify with Gonaba. It might have helped to hear his voice a bit more later, during his long period with the Babingas, so that we could stay in tune to what exactly the brother was thinking.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Silence of the Forest" is a fascinating story and an African story. It carries on an important conversation between African people about African culture and society without needing to place its action within the context of a relationship to Whites, or needing to explain itself to Whites. It is also the first film to feature so prominently the Babinga people as untrained actors. Through their unrehearsed contributions, Ouenangare continues the fine African film tradition of including cultural and artistic expression at the heart of the story.

"The Silence of the Forest" was screened at its U.S. premiere at the New African Films Festival at Visions Cinema in Washington, DC and is included in film festivals in the coming months. Check your local listings.

"Dawn of the Dead"

If we must watch another silly horror flick, or a remake of one, at least let us watch Ving Rhames in it. "Dawn of the Dead" gives Rhames the perfect opportunity to, once again, be the muscular tough guy who has enough common sense to save the world. (See Ving tote a shotgun! See Ving blow away cannibal creatures! This is what fantasy movie-going is all about!)

He and an ensemble crew, including Mekhi Phifer, seem to be the only survivors of an attack of zombie, living-dead cannibals who have devastated some suburban community in Michigan. The viewer never knows where the zombies came from, whether they are really "living" or "dead," whether they have some kind of virus or, in general, how all of this living-dead business got started in the first place. Where did it start? Did somebody rise from a grave? (Or leave their job at Halliburton?) What exactly is going on here? The only hint of an explanation we have comes from the promotional tagline: "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth." But this doesn't explain much.

Apparently, such explanations aren't the point here. The point is to watch the gore, to watch the lightening quick transformation of a human into senseless creatures, to watch our trusty band of survivors--who are holed up inside a shopping mall-- try to outwit the zombies, and to be happily manipulated by the story. Has a living-dead gotten into the mall? Are there some among them who are secret zombies? What happened to the rest of the country and world? Why isn't anyone coming to help? Will the Black men make it to the end of the movie?

I'm no big fan of horror flicks but this one actually made me laugh two or three times, or maybe I laughed at the group of men behind me talking back to the movie, exhorting Ving to "shoot the m...." .James Gunn's screenplay, which adapts the original one from 1978 by George A. Romero, infuses moments of offbeat humor and sarcasm into what is supposed to be an apocalypse. Zack Snyder's direction includes equally offbeat timing that combines horror with the surreal and with comedy.

If we must watch another silly horror flick, or a remake of one, at least let it be one that does not take itself, us or the apocalypse too seriously.

Copyright © 2004, Esther Iverem and SeeingBlack.com. All Rights Reserved. Iverem's reviews of "The United States of Leland," "The Silence of the Forest" and "James' Journey to Jerusalem" first appeared on BET.com.

— April 16, 2004

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