William Oliver
Crooklyn
Crooklyn is a film that was made in 1994 by iconic filmmaker Spike Lee. The comedy/drama stars Alfre Woodard as Carolyn, Delroy Lindo as Woody, and Zelda Harris as Troy. The movie is set in 1970s Brooklyn, and it chronicles a family centered around the mother, who is like the glue that holds the family together. They don't have a whole lot of money, but the house has love the reverberates throughout every member of the family. Continuing off of the theme of strong female protagonists, Carolyn Carmichael is a hard working school teacher and a caring mother of five. She even at times, seems to have to babysit her husband, who isn't always the most cooperative parent, or involved. But Carolyn, always makes it work, and it's evident that she is a great role model for her daughter Troy. Throughout the movie, Spike Lee shifts the focus of the movie from Carolyn to Troy. As a young girl, Troy is wise beyond her years. She handles many responsibilities within the house, and the same is prevalent when she goes off to stay with a relative for the summer. When she returns home, Carolyn falls. Her family tries to hide it from Troy, but she figures it out soon enough. Carolyn gets more ill and soon succumbs to her battle with cancer. You would expect and young girl such as Troy to mourn heavily over the death of her mother, but she didn't. Instead she stepped up, and at 10 years old, became the woman of the house, and could be seen brushing her brothers hair, just as her mother did. The movie ends with Carolyn speaking about her daughter highly, posthumously.
Overall, Spike Lee developed a family that found its way easily into your heart. The family dynamic was believable and relatable for some. The cinematography was impeccable. Vibrant colors and a great soundtrack complete, what is one of the best films we watched this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment