Movie Review: Something the Lord Made

Something the Lord Made: Torgo approves

I liked this movie before I saw it. The title is terrific. I used to notice the dvd in BN, but since it's an HBO movie, I'd never heard of it. I intentionally didn't read the back of the box, but the title stuck with me.

I also liked it on account of Mos Def and Alan Rickman. I liked Mos Def for his music, but have also come to realize how strong of an actor he is. Alan Rickman has been a favorite of mine since Die Hard. I saw him in a Noel Coward play called "Private Lives" a few years ago. He's great onstage as well.

I won't talk much about the plot, only noting how authentic the portrayal of racism feels. It's presented completely but without being overbearing. Racism isn't the primary story, but it's always there and quite effectively shown. For scenes set in the 40's, the white actors do something I've never seen in a movie, stare with both blankness and contempt at the black man invading their sacred world. But then, it's not portrayed as harshly judging them, instead it reflects the reality of the time. And it doesn't inhibit the story.

See this movie.