Keeping a Revolution Alive in 'Repentance'

Nicole Ari Parker and Forest Whitaker in "Repentance." Photo courtesy of CodeBlack Films.

A quiet, welcome revolution going on in Hollywood continues with “Repentance.”

The indie film starring Forrest Whitaker and Anthony Mackie, opens today in U.S. theaters. FW, one of the films producers, is Angel Sanchez. Angel is a deeply troubled man who reaches out in his hour of deepest need to AM's Thomas Carter, a repurposed self-help guru and best-selling author. Angel is a huge fan of Thomas'. (See video below).

The revolutionary aspect of “Repentance” is that it is the latest film featuring black actors in atypical roles. This is a Southern gothic thriller that looks to be set in Louisiana. Again, as is the case with “About Last Night,” “The Best Man Holiday,” “Lee Daniels' The Butler” and “42” – to name four – blacks are increasingly being featured as “normal people.” That is, as relatable folk with character traits beyond abject poverty, persistent crime and base buffoonery.

“Repentance is also the second release of CodeBlack Films, film company that was born of the collaboration of Jeff Clanagan's CodeBlack Enterprises and Lionsgate Films. CodeBlack Enterprises produces urban entertainment and Lionsgate wants a piece of the lucrative urban market, so hopefully it will be a match made in heaven. Note that urban means black and possibly Hispanic, too.

JC, a former concert promoter who worked with acts such as The Isley Brothers and LL Cool J, is on the record stating that a major goal of his growing CodeBlack business is to present programming that casts blacks in a positive light. Of course, time will tell and there is no reason to disbelieve him. His company is also behind the directorial debut of Lee Daniels, “Shadowboxer” and last year's critically-received indie effort, “The Inevitable Defeat Of Mister And Pete.”

Buffoonery and ghettoism take a holiday in “Repentance,” not that these things don't exist amongst black folk. It's just that black folk are so much more than these caricatures. They are like a pie with many slices, not just two or three. Indeed, blacks are people, too. This cannot be reiterated enough as long as stereotypes feed disgust and discrimination of a group of people.

In “Repentance,” Angel is a man who is haunted by a woman who may or may not be a ghost. Understandably, his wife Sophie (Nicole Ari Parker) is concerned and estranged from him. Meanwhile, Thomas has a new lease on life after a near-death accident. He also has a loving, support wife in Maggie (Sanaa Lathan), as well as a ne'er-do-well brother, Ben (Mike Epps).

Fans of the thriller genre will see in Philippe Caland's film more than a passing resemblance to “Misery.” FW's Angel comes across just as unhinged as Kathy Bates' Annie Wilkes. Similarly, AM's Thomas presents the voice of reason as does James Caan's author, Paul Sheldon.

As art, “Repentance” is a competent affair, if a bit loopy at times, mainly informed by FW's spirited performance. No one in “Repentance” need repent for a poor performance.

“Repentance” is rated R for violence including torture, and language; visit http://www.codeblack.com/seekrepentance/ to learn more about the film.

Humor in Spades in 'By The Way, Meet Vera Stark'

Vera Stark (Sanaa Lathan), center, is flanked by two very inquiring minds (Spencer Garrett and Mather Zickel) in “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.” Photos by Michael Lamont.

BY TAMARA BECK

THE distance between being a maid and playing a maid may be short. Going from there to Hollywood stardom covers a lot of Jim Crow miles.

The distance is the story of the seven-decade journey of the titular character from black maid and bit actor to legend in Lynn Nottage’s “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.”

LN’s dignified satire is enjoying a West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles through 28 Oct. The play had its world premiere at New York’s Second Stage Theatre last spring.

Vera Stark’s (Sanaa Lathan) off-handed introduction comes soon after the lush purple plisse curtain rises to reveal her reading lines with her employer, Gloria Mitchell (Amanda Detmer takes over the role in LA). They are both preparing to audition for roles in a film called “The Belle of New Orleans.”

Gloria, once “America’s little sweetie-pie,” resents having to try out for a part. She also resists putting in a good word for Vera, though both women win their respective roles. The script offers a meatier part than was usually given to black actors in Old Hollywood. Act 2 of “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” reveals a part of the film that features them.

Like Vera, her roommates, Lottie (Kimberly Hébert Gregory) and Anna Mae (Merle Dandridge in the LA transfer), are also underutilized black actresses working day jobs to make ends meet.

The New York cast of “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” was superb. SL, who is reprising her role, gives a flawlessly intelligent portrayal of Vera over the decades. (See video and tributes to the fictional Vera Stark above.)

Gloria (Amanda Detmer) and Vera (Sanaa Lathan) have a complicated relationship in “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.”

Fast forward to 2003 where historian and filmmaker Herb Forrester (Kevin Carroll) has assembled a panel to find out “What happened to Vera Stark?” As part of this exploration, the panelists analyze a video of a 1973 TV interview in which a drunk and defiant Vera defends her choice of roles. As a celebrity, she is a shadow of the hopeful and bold young woman she was in 1933.

Did Vera Stark advance the careers of black actors or did she pander to the low standards and pigeonholing roles set by film makers?

Anna Mae (Merle Dandridge), Lottie (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) and Vera (Sanaa Lathan) are Hollywood working girls in “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.”

“By The Way, Meet Vera Stark” is a funny play, styled LN says, as “a screwball comedy.” Indeed, it is an unusual, albeit coherent work. It is also deeply discerning and touching.

Visit http://www.geffenplayhouse.com/ to learn more about “By The Way, Meet Vera Stark”