Mar 15, 2024
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Hilarious and thought provoking. This film is easily one of the best released last year.
Mar 21, 2024
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I‘ve never laughed so hard at a movie. The ending is particularly humorous. Based off of a novel by Percival Everett called Erasure. Well written. Well acted. And well done.
Feb 20, 2025
As far as material for satire goes, the literary world is pretty low-hanging fruit, perhaps only bested by fine art collecting. Still, when the jokes are as on point as they are in American Fiction, it can make for very satisfying viewing. Writer / director Cord Jefferson (who has previously written for The Good Place, Watchmen, and Station Eleven) does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, the experimental structure of which would make a successful adaptation seem unlikely.
Author and professor Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright, eminently watchable as always) is known for writing acclaimed but poor-selling novels and is growing frustrated by the lack of interest in his latest effort from publishers, who dismiss it for not being “black enough”. On top of that, he finds himself placed on leave from his university and then dealing with a series of crises with his family. One bright spot emerges however when a chance encounter with neighbor Coraline (a charming Erika Alexander) promises to develop into something more.
One night after a few drinks, Monk knocks out what he intends to be a satire of the stereotypical “Black” novels the public seems to want featuring high melodrama, broken families, gang violence, and written in an over-the-top “ghetto” vernacular. His agent reluctantly agrees to send it to a few publishing houses under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh, allegedly a former convict, and much to their surprise he is promptly offered $750,000 for the book. In need of the money, he accepts and plays along with the ruse, occasionally even playing the role in person, but he can’t help but feel guilt for selling out himself and his people, and so makes attempts to sabotage the whole deal and risks damaging some personal relationships along the way.
The movie oscillates between being a razor-shop literary satire and a family dramedy in the vein of Something’s Gotta Give or As Good As It Gets, to surprisingly enjoyable effect. Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, and Myra Lucretia Taylor delight as Monk’s sister, brother, mother, and long-time family housekeeper respectively, with the group displaying a genuine chemistry in their scenes together. Likewise, the budding romance with Coraline feels natural and comfortable. It’s when it takes its claws out though that American Fiction really rises above. Anyone who follows the book world will instantly recognize what Jefferson and Everett are targeting here and will find themselves laughing out loud at every bullseye hit. It isn’t the flashiest movie, but it’s a clever and engaging look at a specific part of American culture that never forgets to entertain its audience. ★★★★
RATED R FOR LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, SOME DRUG USE, SEXUAL REFERENCES, AND BRIEF VIOLENCE.
Feb 22, 2024
