Director: Mike Binder Starring: Kevin Costner, Octavia Spencer Writer: Mike Binder | 3/5 Black or White Even if Mike Binder’s Black or White feels like “Chicken Soup for the White-Guy-Who’s-Not-a-Racist Soul,” it is undeniably anchored by a number of soulful performances. In the movie, Elliot (Kevin Costner) is left the sole provider for young Eloise (Jillian Estell, adorable) after the death of his wife. Eloise’s mom, Elliot’s daughter, died in childbirth and her father, Reggie (The Knick’s André Holland), is a wandering drug addict who shows up when he needs money. The drama stems from Rowena “Wee Wee” Jeffers (Ocatvia Spencer), the child’s grandmother on her dad’s side. Grandma Wee Wee wants to claim full custody of Eloise, claiming Elliot has a drinking problem - he does - and that she has is being kept from a whole side of her family. The way her lawyer brother, played by Anthony Mackie, is going to spin it in court: Elliot will not let them see her family because they are black. While Binder’s film is way too soft to tackle such a thorny issue, it manages to make a couple good points and cross the finish line (mostly) intact. Elliot, while a high-functioning drunk, is not a racist. But how can he stand by his hard-won hate for Reggie without looking like he is. Is he really completely devoid of prejudice views? Somewhere deep down there is a much edgier movie to be made. I am not saying that Steve McQueen, Ava DuVernay, or even Spike Lee have to make it; but these issues are complex and difficult to tell in a mannered, PG-13 fashion. The final court scene near the end of the film comes closest to hitting the mark, with Binder, who also wrote the screenplay, finally showing some boldness. The rest of the movie could have used more of this and less cliche-addled, one-dimensional characters. |
The addition of a few more layers to the characters would have easily fixed many of the film’s problems. Worst off is the depiction of Reggie, who plays like a dialed-down stereotype you might see in a random episode of Law & Order. This is made even more frustrating by the fact that André Holland is an excellent actor, as we have seen in Cinemax’s new magnetic medical drama. Spencer’s Rowena is not handled much better, but she makes the best out of what she is given and delivers a reliably excellent performance. Just because her character owns a successful real estate business and enjoys light jazz does not mean she is free from racial stereotypes. The fundamental problem here is the handling of the black characters, making this a largely one-sided argument to a multifaceted dilemma.
This is ultimately proven true in Binder’s excellent depiction of Elliot. We see the grieving widower’s faults plain as day, but we never doubt that he is a good man. We never second guess his love for his granddaughter, even as he stumbles and slurs his way through ever scene. Costner turns in one of his best performances ever, turning from angry drunk to crippling grief on a dime. The greatest compliment I could give to him is that he never feels like the White Savior. By delivering this movie from the white-man-saves-the-day label, Costner keeps afloat this project. I am afraid Binder’s way-too-delicate writing and direction would have crashed and burn without him.
Black or White is not perfect and contributes little to the country’s ongoing race problem, but it is ultimately saved by a cast that almost succeeds in making the film seem better than it actually is. Watch it as fluffy, feel-good medicine. Do not, however, mistake this for a legitimate argument on race.
This is ultimately proven true in Binder’s excellent depiction of Elliot. We see the grieving widower’s faults plain as day, but we never doubt that he is a good man. We never second guess his love for his granddaughter, even as he stumbles and slurs his way through ever scene. Costner turns in one of his best performances ever, turning from angry drunk to crippling grief on a dime. The greatest compliment I could give to him is that he never feels like the White Savior. By delivering this movie from the white-man-saves-the-day label, Costner keeps afloat this project. I am afraid Binder’s way-too-delicate writing and direction would have crashed and burn without him.
Black or White is not perfect and contributes little to the country’s ongoing race problem, but it is ultimately saved by a cast that almost succeeds in making the film seem better than it actually is. Watch it as fluffy, feel-good medicine. Do not, however, mistake this for a legitimate argument on race.