My verdict: WOW! Judas and the Black Messiah was incredible! Everything about it was pitch perfect, whether it was the acting, the writing, the costumes, the cinematography, the music or Shaka King's direction.
As Fred Hampton, Daniel Kaluuya was incendiary. I knew that Kaluuya's performance by would be great based on the trailer, but seeing it in the movie on HBO Max was even more amazing. Hampton was a not only a man way ahead of his time, IMO he was another "hidden figure," as in a person of color who made positive contributions to history but whose accomplishments were largely ignored for decades. That Hampton gave so much to the world and could've given even more makes his assassination even more tragic. As for another British actor playing an American civil rights icon, so what? If they're as talented as Kaluuya is, I don't care if they come from Mars.
As Willie O'Neill, Lakeith Stanfield is another standout. His O'Neill was as selfish and delusional as Hampton was dedicated and visionary. O'Neill was never the man that Hampton was, as his betrayal and his attempts to justify it proved. Hampton wasn't "perfect," but he was a great man; O'Neill was the exact opposite.
Dominique Fishback and Jesse Plemons were equally awesome, in their own ways. Plemons gave depth to what could've been a one-dimensional role as O'Neill's FBI handler. As Deborah, Dominique was shy in some moments and strong in others, proving that she's much more than just Hampton's baby mama. My favorite Deborah scene was when she was arrested moments after Hampton's assassination and she wouldn't cry in front of the cops because she didn't want to give them the satisfaction.
About the Oscar nominations, while they're all well-deserved, my theory about why Kaluuya and Stanfield were nominated in the same category is that though Stanfield deserves a Best Actor nomination, the Motion Picture Academy didn't want to risk another Black actor competing with the late, great Chadwick Boseman, so they put him in the Supporting Actor category. Before, the SA category was Kaluuya's to lose, but now Stanfield's presence might split the vote, which could cost Kaluuya the Oscar.
Speaking of Kaluuya, he's hosting the April 3rd episode of SNL and Stanfield's on the cover of and featured in the 2021 Vanity Fair Hollywood issue.
Edited March 26, 2021 by DollEyes
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