Spotlight On....Malcolm Lee


Yesterday I started a bit of a dialogue about how every black film film doesn't have to be a masterpiece, but at least try to seem like you give a f__k. Malcolm Lee is a perfect example of that type of filmmaker...

Yes, his cousin Spike gets all the dap, but to be quite honest, I find Malcolm's movies easier to take. They do not require work to watch, and don't have such a sledgehammer message that they leave you with a migraine.

Sometimes I wish our films would just tell a story, and that's what his movies do. Yes, there are elements of black life and what it entails in his films, but they focus mainly on what I say is lacking in many of our community's films; family, values, thoughtfulness, and people that seem like they paid attention in school. There is black love, and black prosperity. There are real characters and real dialogue. And yes, there is a message slipped in, but it goes down smooth like a limoncello martini.

His directorial contributions are slim; "The Best Man", "Undercover Brother", and "Roll Bounce", but I'm sure he'll be around for a while, and at least he's not making film after film to give you brain freeze (*cough* Brett Ratner*cough*). His sequel to "The Best Man" entitled "The Better Man" is currently in post-production. And I won't mind if it doesn't win an Academy Award, I will just be happy to see a black movie I can relate to.