Sometimes you just have to accept that a film isn’t really made with yourself as the main viewer demographic. That isn’t a bad thing. It allows for cinema to have the potential to reach everyone. And a film not being aimed squarely at me (as a standard white male, it’s bloody rare to find American films that aren’t) doesn’t mean that I cannot enjoy individual moments from it.
The African Desperate is the tale of Palace Bryant (Diamond Stingily) and the day in which she graduates from her art studies. She spends some time in the company of her friend, Hannah (Erin Leland), and a maybe/maybe not love interest names Ezra (Aaron Bobrow).
The debut feature from director Martine Syms, co-written with Rocket Caleshu, The African Desperate is much more successful at examining racism, identity, and the strength in being as honest and open with people as possible, even if it makes them uncomfortable. It is less successful when it comes to skewering the art world, whether it’s looking at those who critique or those who try may be creating art without knowing quite what they have to say. That just feels like a much easier target, and the comedy and commentary feels a bit too smug in those moments. Unfortunately, there’s a balance between the two, one that is maintained from start to finish.
Stingily is excellent in the lead role, perfectly portraying someone who is, to put it bluntly, done with all the bullshit. Her character can be hypocritical at times, but there’s something very satisfying about the scenes in which she unflinchingly calls people out on their behaviour, whether that was a conscious or subconscious part of them. Leland is fine, and plays off Stingily nicely, and there’s also a fun turn from Ruby McCollister (who I recognised from The Scary Of Sixty-First). Then there’s Bobrow, playing the “cool and sexy” guy who can oh-so-quickly be disassembled by a woman who doesn’t react to him exactly as he expects. The main scene in which Bobrow and Stingily are conversing in a car is both hilarious and thought-provoking.
As you can tell, I found enough to enjoy here, but they were individual moments from a film that others may appreciate a lot more. The opening scene was a highlight, and one that the film rarely got close to during any other part of the runtime, but, ironically, most of this film feels like a director who hasn’t quite found their voice. Experimenting with different choices throughout, some work and some don’t, Syms undermines her work with a lack of required focus. The few really sharp moments hint at what could have been, but they’re too infrequent.
An interesting score is worth mentioning, but that’s the only other part of the film, other than the lead performance, that feels as if it REALLY works with the material. Would I pass this if I was grading it as a final art project? I am not sure, but, and it bears repeating, it’s not really aimed at me.
5/10
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