"THE PAPERBOY", "SHADOWBOXER" AND LEE DANIELS--WOW!

 




DIRECTOR & PRODUCER LEE DANIELS IS A GOD!

AFTER SEEING HIS FINAL DIRECTORIAL WORK I AM CONVINCED HE DESERVES ALL THE ACCOLADES, AWARDS AND CONTINUAL RECOGNITION AS A TRUE VISIONARY IN CONTEMPORARY CINEMA. (I HAVE NOT SEEN "TENNESSEE" WHICH HE PRODUCED FOR MARIAH CAREY).

 DARE I SAY, LEE DANIELS CAN BE A MODERN DAY ALFRED HITCHCOCK  (A HIGH COMPLIMENT I WOULD NOT GIVE EASILY). WHERE HITCHCOCK MASTERED THE ART OF SUSPENSE, DANIELS ADDS THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT EVEN BETTER THAN MY MAN "HITCH".

 BEING THAT WE ARE OF THE GENERATION OF REALISM IN FILM, DANIELS BRUTALLY OFFERS-IN ALL ITS GORE-THE TRUE UNDERBELLY OF HUMAN NATURE. IF YOU ARE OF THE FAINT OF HEART, STAY AWAY. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FILM AS ART (HIS TECHNIQUES ARE AT ONCE ELEMENTARY & SOPHISTICATED), HE IS ONE TO STUDY.

HIS JUXTAPOSITION OF DEEP LOVE FOR THINGS THAT MATTER- WHICH CAN EVEN MAKE US ROOT FOR TRADITIONALLY  DESPICABLE  CHARACTERS- AND THAT OF THE UNDERDOG OR MORE TRADITIONAL "GOOD GUY/GAL" ONES IS BEYOND BRILLIANT. UNLIKE QUENTIN TARANTINO'S GORE FOR GORE'S SAKE, I PERSONALLY PREFER LEE DANIELS RATIONALE FOR THE BRUTAL EXTREMES IN CERTAIN " I DON'T WANNA LOOK" SCENES.

I ALWAYS GET THE FEELING TARANTINO IS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE THEATRICS AND/OR HISTRIONICS IN HIS MOVIES FOR THE SAKE OF SHOCK VALUE. IN THE SAME BREATH, I AM NOT DISMISSING TARANTINO ALTOGETHER.

NEVERTHELESS, I FEEL LEE IS TRULY CONCERNED WITH  LIFE AND WHAT WE REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CAN BE OUT THERE BEHIND MANICURED LAWNS AND THOSE APPEARING "NORMAL"; EXACTLY WHAT HITCHCOCK WAS ABOUT.

MANY THEMES MAY OVERLAP BUT WHO CARES? THEY ARE ALL VERY DIFFERENT FILMS. TRY THEM!

IF YOU EVER HAVE THE TIME TO WATCH  LEE DANIELS' WORK-BEWARE TO BE SHOCKED, SURE, BUT PREPARE YOURSELF TO HAVE AN INDELIBLE STORY WHICH YOU WILL TRY TO ANALYZE LONG AFTER THE CREDITS HAVE ROLLED. YOU MAY EVEN BE NUMB FOR A FEW MINUTES/HOURS/DAYS.

HERE IS THE LIST:

Producer

• 2001: Monster's Ball
• 2004: The Woodsman
• 2005: Shadowboxer
• 2008: Tennessee
• 2009: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire

Director

• 2005: Shadowboxer
• 2009: Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire
• 2012: The Paperboy
• 2013: The Butler

I RECENTLY SAW "THE PAPERBOY" AND TODAY  I WAS AGAIN INSPIRED AFTER WATCHING "SHADOWBOXER" . NOT ONLY WAS I AS IMPRESSED WITH THE OVERALL FILM AS I WAS WHEN I SAW "MONSTER'S BALL", "THE WOODSMAN" AND "PRECIOUS" BUT I REALIZE THE GENIUS IN LEE DANIELS' CASTING. HE CAN REALLY CAST A MOVIE (TAKE NOTE TYLER PERRY, IT'S ABOUT MORE THAN EXTERNAL BEAUTY AND THIN SCRIPTS).

SEXUALITY IS RAW & BEAUTIFUL IN THE FILMS OF LEE DANIELS ( I NEVER THOUGHT  CUBA GOODING, JR. COULD GET ME "EXCITED"). DANIELS MAKES THE VIEWER "FEEL" LIKE A GREAT PIECE OF MUSIC AND ANY EMOTIONALLY CHARGED PIECE OF ART CAN EVOKE.

I AM DELIGHTED TO KNOW I AM NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HIS NEW FILM, "THE BUTLER". OFF TO RENT "TENNESSEE" --WE'LL TALK SOON KIDS...