Pro-Black Sheep -- Movie Review

It was sometime in October when I received one of many invitations to the screening of some unknown independent film made by some unknown filmmaker. The title of the film, Pro-Black Sheep, stuck with me. I did some research on the film's director, Clayton Broomes Jr., and found the trailer, which was quite interesting actually. However, I couldn't find out much about him beyond a couple of short films, an old director's reel and what appeared to be a drama series. So, I forgot about the invitation and moved on.

A month later, I received another email from the rather determined filmmaker, linking me to a New York Daily News article about him, Pro-Black Sheep and the same screening, which was to screen at the New York African Diaspora Film Festival on Dec. 5^th and 10^th. It was a good article but it wasn't enough to reel me in for the commitment.

Then about a week later, it was like 6 AM on a Saturday morning. I was getting ready to head to training with my TV running on NBC channel 4. The "Positively Black" segment came on showing a clip from this film followed by an interview with the director Clayton Broomes Jr and Diarah N'Daw-Spech, one of the co-founders of the African Diaspora Film Festival. It was a surprise and impressed me enough to look into this further. Wondering if this filmmaker had anymore surprises in store, I decided to attend the film screening, unbeknownst to anyone. Besides, I am a film critic known for reviewing smaller indie films playing at film festivals and screening events throughout New York City.

At the center of Pro-Black Sheep is a brilliant young, African-American mind named Rashad, played wonderfully by Alfred E. Rutherford, a name to remember. His fiancée (Ellie Foumbi) graciously puts him out of her condominium, leaving him no choice but to return home to the housing projects where his amusingly blunt mother (Christine Tracy) is trying to have a romantic evening with her boyfriend. So, just for that night, his Jewish American friend Lazer (Michael Bernstein) takes Rashad in during one of his meetings with the Urban-Push Alliance, a Black Activist organization led by the all too likable and charismatic Reverend Cal Blunton (Willie Hill). While staying there, Rashad, who seems to be this pro-black militant shouting "I'm black and I'm proud" whenever he can, overhears the Urban-Push's plan on protesting the police in defense of a known killer named Murk, who happens to be from the same projects as Rashad, prompting him to secretly send a message to Rev. Blunton discrediting their plans. We come to find out that Rashad has been sending out many anonymous messages like that over the years to black leaders like Rev. Blunton, who, with the help of Lazer, uncovers Rashad as the "Concerned African-American" behind the messages and emails. Blunton recognizes Rashad's brilliance immediately and offers the reluctant, activist-in-training a job as his second advisor.

Before taking the job, Rashad seeks out an opinion about the whole thing from his old high school teacher Mr. Duke, played with quiet confidence by Keith Stone. In exchange for the scoop on Blunton, Duke asks Rashad to help him tutor a young teenager named Tyrone (Tracy Mazyck) who is on the verge of flunking out of school.

Rashad takes both jobs, slowly feeling the chutzpah to expose his true self with fellow members of Urban-push, beyond this over-the-top, pro-black façade, through opinions that can have him labeled as a "sellout" in the black community or a closeted conservative, something he fears more than anything. The tutoring sessions also start off rocky, putting a frustrated Rashad in empty classrooms where Tyrone is a no-show.

Sounds like a lot? Well, there is much, much more and it all comes together nicely. As I watched this film, I started feeling as if I was on a journey with the main character, as he slowly and unwillingly uncover some corruption on behalf of the Black Activist organization, clashes with the dilemma facing young African-Americans today and their unfit parents, and battles with people's inability to think for themselves-that goes for him as well. During the Q&A with Clayton Broomes, Jr., he mentioned how he was inspired by Fox News commentator Juan Williams' book "Enough," that argues in defense of the Bill Cosby-gate (his controversial speech at the NAACP gala for the 50^th Anniversary of Brown vs. education, accusing African-American parents of not raising their children properly).

I found my surprise. I found it in the enjoyment I had watching this really low budgeted film.

The writing was first rate, with witty, natural and sometimes edgy dialogue. I burst out laughing at a few lines ("You O.J. exonerating crazy people don't get it" might be one of my favorites from any film this year). The characters were fully developed and multi-layered, every single one of them. Broomes was able to make us connect with these people in a real way. When I think about the characters, I could probably point out a character arc for each of them. Effective satire made it all the more enjoyable. If this film was a major Hollywood theatrical release, I could see the writing alone being seriously considered for an Oscar nomination.

The great writing was complimented by great performances. I can't complain about a single actor, led by Alfred E. Rutherford who gave Rashad his life. Stephen Hill brought in a magnificent performance as Cashmere, Rashad's buddy from the projects, creating the most likable thug on the big screen in recent years. Christine Tracy brought in the laughs as Rashad's mother with her wit and justified sarcasm against Rashad's apathy. Ellie Foumbi as Rashad's ex-fiancée rounds out the superb cast with her subtly heartbreaking performance as a career woman conflicted between her love for Rashad and a desire for a stable relationship, and I found myself in love with the sassy, attractive Dina, played by Shannon Foster.

The great performances were complimented by great directing. The unknown Clayton Broomes, Jr. shows more than enough promise as a Hollywood film director. Not only does he show an ability to work with talented actors with complex material, getting good performances from them, he also has a great eye, with a visual style that is unlike any other at this level of guerilla filmmaking. His camerawork never distracted from the performances. He went for simplicity and was still able to find composition and interesting angles. Did I mention he was the director of photographer and editor as well as writer/director? With his budget, this film wasn't supposed to look so good. As audience members exited the theater, I overheard someone referring to him as the next great director. Too early for me to say, but having seen this first attempt by him, he did make an impression on me.

Pro-Black Sheep is a difficult film to review because the director made so many good choices in regard to overall execution, one good choice after the other.

Is the film perfect? No. It was a low budgeted film that could've benefited, possibly, if the filmmakers had one of those monstrous Hollywood budgets. However, I can't see anyone else replacing the actors in these roles. Also, he was quite merciful in his depiction of phony African-American leaders. The sound in one scene could be improved some but that would be me nitpicking. I was too engrossed to care. It's a micro-budgeted film. The film's capability of grabbing me from the very beginning to the very end, where I found myself wanting more, is all that matters -- a sequel, perhaps?

A week has passed and it still plays back in my head from time to time. Many at the screening agreed that it should be shown to young people everywhere, and it took a talented filmmaker like this one to argue both sides of the crisis without preaching.

I find it difficult to believe that it took the African Diaspora Film Festival to discover this gem and screen it. What happened to Tribeca and Sundance? They're losing it.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give this film a 9.

I'm glad I accepted the invitation to this important film. I would be eagerly looking out for future works from Clayton Broomes, Jr. and the cast who all are for the most part, to me, the next generation of the motion picture industry.

This film is a must see.