#donaldfaison

Remember the Titans is formulaic. Isn't that the case with every football film based on a true story? You can predict where everyone will end up. Does it matter when the results are this crowd-pleasing?

In 1971, coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) is assigned to put together a football team for the integrated T. C. Williams High School. The locals are not pleased to see Boone’s predecessor, Bill Yoast (Will Patton) booted down to the post of assistant coach and if that wasn't enough drama, the players seem determined to stay divided among racial lines until he breaks through to them.

I get the appeal of seeing a live game of football but for me, a film about the sport is far more engaging. The camera ensures you never miss the bone-crunching tackle or that amazing play that turns the tide when there's only a second to spare. You don't learn about the players from interviews or newspaper clippings. You get to be there the whole way. “I know that already! That applies to every great sports movie!” you say. And you’re right. What’s this movie got going that other sports movies don’t?

Remember the Titans is filled with underdogs; more than other films of its genre. A new coach automatically falls under extra stringent scrutiny. So does a new team. Boone isn't just a new coach, however. He's a black coach in a predominantly white field. As is his interracial team. Even among themselves, there's tension.

There are many effective human moments as the topic of racism is addressed. We see these young men deal with their prejudices and break barriers are they learn to function as a unit. It isn’t about one side being right and the other being wrong, it’s about a bunch of talented young men who have to learn to work together to unleash their full potential. Seeing the friendships that develop, those that dissolve due to irreconcilable differences, and seeing someone suddenly realize what they believed for years is wrong? That’s movie magic. Whether the ball is being thrown or not, you're completely engaged. Everyone will find someone to relate to and cheer for.

My one criticism is one that’s almost inherent to even the best sports films. Ultimately, you can predict what's going to happen to the players and coaches because what we're seeing is essentially a highlight of a football season within a three-act plot. There's something to be said about needing to adhere to formulas to satisfy the audience. Nevertheless, you can't say it wouldn't have been refreshing to see this reinvent the wheel or break some new ground. I'll also point to the character of Sheryl (Hayden Panettiere) as an element that could've been improved. The performance is good but the character is overwritten.

Remember the Titans is probably loaded with inaccuracies and exaggerations. That goes without saying and ultimately, doesn't matter. The performances are good. Its message is easy to subscribe to, legitimate, and earnest. The game scenes are well shot and the drama is compelling. Is it a little manipulative at times? Maybe, but this just makes it all the more thrilling and inspirational. As far as football movies go, it's among the best. (On DVD, July 5, 2015)

I’m as snobby as the next film snob, I’ll admit, but there are a handful of actors that I enjoy simply because their presence is a joy to behold.  For folks my age, one of these unsung heroes is Donald Faison, a character actor with an outgoing personality and a hilarious wit.  When I saw that he and Mos Def had a film together in the form of Next Day Air, I was set and prepared for a hilarious stoner buddy comedy.  The film definitely hit those buttons, but man, did it deliver in ways I was not even expecting. 

Leo (Donald Faison) is on thin ice at his job as a deliveryman for Next Day Air (NDA), despite the fact that Ms. Jackson (Debbie Allen), the boss, is his mother.  Add to this that she idolizes Eric (Mos Def), a shifty and thieving coworker of Leo’s, and has received several complaints of Leo smelling like weed on the job, and it is crystal clear that Leo’s nerves are shook to the core.  With his mind in such a frenzied state, his performance at work is impaired, and he ends up delivering a box meant for Jesus (Cisco Reyes) and Chita (Yasmin Deliz) in 303 to knuckleheads Guch (Wood Harris) and Brody (Mike Epps) in 302.  The lost package raises the ire of drug kingpin Bodega (Emilio Rivera) and his muscle Rhino (Lobo Sebastian), and he issues Jesus to recover the package before he arrives to recover it himself.  Guch and Brody discover the contents of the package to be cocaine, and as their hustling spirit kicks in, the pair reach out to Brody’s cousin Shavoo (Omari Hardwick) and his right hand man Buddy (Darius McCrary) in hopes of flipping the drugs for a quick buck.  With everyone moving quickly in hopes of benefiting, all parties involved find themselves set for an inevitable showdown.  

This film is a wonderful balance between a classic screwball comedy and a classic modern-day hood film, with all of the best aspects of both genres blending together in a volatile and entertaining mixture.  The humor is quick-witted, mostly lighthearted, and extremely natural in regards to all of the respective pairings in the film, as each team connects well with one another while being unique from one another in many aspects, be it race, heritage, motivations, or so on.  We are given a glimpse of each main characters’ normal routine, given an inciting incident for each groups that raises the stakes, and then allowed to sit back and enjoy the collision course that rapidly unfolds.

It is in this collision course that the film becomes extremely gripping and rewarding.  Setting the film in Philadelphia is a subtle bit of genius texture, as the majority of the actors lean into the local slang and attitude that Philly is notoriously known for, despite its status as the ‘city of brotherly love’.  While most everyone in the film has humorous moments, it is made crystal clear that even the most comedic of characters is capable of doing cutthroat things.  This state of mind is compounded by the fact that nobody (on the criminal side of things) trusts anyone else in this film, even when they are tied together by the bonds of family, and it’s only a matter a time before the mayhem hinted at in the opening moments comes to fruition.  Slight spoiler alert, but one touch I appreciated was that the most innocent individuals were the ones that benefited in the end.

As mentioned previously, setting this film in Philadelphia is a nice touch, as it gives the film  a unique feel in the realm of East and West Coast-based hood films.  I cannot give the balance of comedy and tension enough credit in this film, as the laughs are deep and the danger feels real from opening to closing frame.  While the majority of this film takes place in a pair of nearly identical locations, the brief glimpses of the rest of the city, as well as Bodega’s world, make things feel larger than they are.  The film does take a few scenes to really and truly get going, but once the inciting incident hits, all involved are locked in for the ride.

Donald Faison gets to dwell in his comfort zone, with the added benefit of playing as a stoner, but as much as I enjoy his work, he doesn’t really break any new ground in this film.  Mos Def also plays pretty by the numbers, although his funny moments come off extremely natural despite his slightly exaggerated performance.  The supporting cast is where this film truly shines, and that chiefly starts with Wood Harris and Mike Epps, who have incredible comedic and dramatic chemistry with one another.  Cisco Reyes and Yasmin Deliz also pair strong, with Deliz’s presence stealing the show in several of their shared scenes.  Emilio Rivera and Lobo Sebastian lean into their slightly typecast nature, with their Cartel-esque presence adding a unique ingredient into the Philly-based madness.  Omari Hardwick and Darius McCrary also pair strong together, with their brotherhood and comrade re showing shades of many strong relationships, from work to criminal to platonic friendship and unconditional concern.  Appearances by Debbie Allen, Cassidy, Lauren London, Jo D. Jonz and Malik Barnhardt round things out.