Music is Life in McQueen's Lovers Rock

Lovers Rock (2020) - McQueen It seems Steve McQueen figured out how to capture the culture in a specific time period on film perfectly: with food and music. Lovers Rock, a slight film clocking just over an hour, part of his 5 part Small Axe anthology charting the West Indies community in London in the 70s, shot intimately and energetically by Shabier Kirchner and score by Mica Levi, is one of those dream movies- where every decision of the filmmaker seems right as it plays out organically and naturally. Its large ensemble cast of unknowns all seem to fit in at home, every details, the dresses, suits, embraces and elbow grabs and hanging arms and hands over would-be-lovers shoulders just seem right.

Taking one night at a large house party, Lovers Rock, named after the form of reggae love songs that everyone seems to know the lyrics to, invites you the guest, into the West Indian culture in London in the 70s with open arms. It starts out with Martha (Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn) sneaking out of her house at night to meet with her friend Patty (Shaniqua Okwok) to go to the aforementioned houseparty. It is busy already in the big house with activities - the vinyle covered couch needs to be moved in to the backyard, goat curry and other yummies are being prepared in the kitchen, DJ and sound system need to be set up. There are some volatile characters and playboys and some show of misogyny that comes with the territory. But what keeps everyone together is the music. There are several blissful sequences where music does the job of storytelling - one is with Carl Douglas' Kung Fu fighting, extended cappella rendition of Janet Kay's Silly Games and Revolutionaries Kuntakinte Dub. These gatherings- under the watchful eyes of whites in the neighborhood and police, were the only outlet these communities had for each other to let the steam out, before you go back to the white world they live in the next day.

Vibrant and joyful and poignant, McQueen serves up a perfect Christmas gift this season. Lovers Rock is thrilling to watch and great, sweet middle piece companion to Small Axe anthology that is filled with serious stories of cultural, political struggle of the West Indie's community.

Collective Amnesia

12 Years of a Slave (2013) - McQueen

Masterful filmmaking. It does limit the shameful American slavery experience to 12 years and have unwanted famous faces popping up to say hello. But McQueen's focus is all on Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his unjust slavery. Even Michael Fassbender's powerhouse plantation owner Epps doesn't eclipse Solomon and other slaves' harrowing experiences. The punchline is that without a big payback or satisfying epilogue, we are left to grapple with the fate of the fellow slaves Solomon leaves behind at the end.

It gave me a pleasure seeing this in a packed theater the day after Thanksgiving in one of the beautiful screening rooms of the Brooklyn's cultural mecca, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) with very mixed audiences. I couldn't help but comparing this film to the best film I've seen this year, The Act of Killing- for both dealing with a collective amnesia of sort, especially when witnessing older white audiences wincing in their seats during many of the film's difficult moments.

My minor issue with the film is what Solomon went through in the film didn't feel like 12 years. If McQueen's intention was that of a surprise that, indeed it's been 12 years and his kids are all grown up, that he's been unjustly kept as a slave, it didn't work for me. It would have a better impact if there was some kind of indication of passage of time. I totally understand how that come across as anything but cheesy, but McQueen would have found the way to show it, just like the rest of the film not being anything but cliché. Definitely among one of the best this year.

Bright Lights Big City

Shame (2011) - McQueen

It's an odd choice for Steve McQueen after his breakthrough debut, Hunger, to do a film about a hotshot Manhattanite's hollow sex life. The premise is so very 1980s NY, circa Bright Lights, Big City - decadence, soullessness, cynicism. The only difference, besides the cyber age references, is how it is done. McQueen lets us know from the first frame, that he is not a normal filmmaker. As a visual artist, his visual approach is completely unique and refreshing.

Michael Fassbender again, teams up with McQueen and plays another physically demanding role (there are a lot of frontal nudity and sex scenes in this). Brandon (Fassbender) lives a high life in a posh midtown apartment, enjoys anonymous sex and pornography at home and at work. His magnetic good looks gets glances everywhere and he answers them back. His life style is sabotaged when his little sister Cici (Carey Mulligan), a lounge singer and an emotional wreck invites herself into his apartment unannounced. It gets complicated when Cici sleeps with his womanizing boss.

In a 5 minute long take, their backs to the camera and a black and white cartoon playing on TV in front of them, the siblings argue. The scene is just as compelling as the one long take in Hunger with Bobby Sands and the priest. Then there is an uncut restaurant scene where Brandon takes his lovely co-worker (Nicole Behari) on a date. Perhaps because of her down-to-earth quality, he confesses to her that his longest relationship with anyone was about 4 months. The following morning he takes her to the posh hotel suite overlooking the Chelsea Pier in order to have sex. He can't perform, all captured in agonizing 5 minute uncut take. The long takes require enormous amount of trust put on the actors and Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan oblige with perhaps the two of the greatest performances this year. What I like about Shame despite its rather conventional plot is it's deeply rooted in reality. Characters are very naturally drawn and believable. Mulligan's adorable as a hard edged, suicidal little Cici who might be Brandon's only salvation.

A reflective/introspective look at society's ills in the time of economic crisis and the world in turmoil is perhaps not very well timed. And Brandon's sexual escapades in the last act reach almost a comedic level. But Shame demonstrates a major talent stretching his cinematic muscles and I'm looking forward to McQueen's next project.