Crooklyn
Crooklyn is Spike Lee’s greatest movie…
You all know Spike, the black film director who shot to fame with his breakthrough movie ‘She’s Gotta Have It’. (As with all Spike’s movies- haven’t seen it…? see it!)
He went on to make amazing & important inspirational films including ‘Malcolm X’ & the iconic ‘Do the Right Thing’.
Well, in between all the amazing stuff he has done that you know about, is tucked away this little gem of a movie…
It came out at the same time ‘Home Alone’ was released & it seemed at the time, that this movie was overlooked, in part because of that.
This was also maybe due to the contrasting storylines, as Home Alone was the story of a rich little white kid & his family, whereas Crooklyn is the story of a poor little black kid & her family.
Also the very name ‘Crooklyn’, at the time, maybe made people who take things on face value (ie. the majority of the cinema going public), think it was some some kinda gangster movie..?
Nothing could be further from the truth & if you get a chance to see it, take our advice & do.
You will be deeply, deeply, touched by it. It’s a stunning piece of work & maybe a contender as the first occasion a black family has been properly represented in cinema.
This movie is a total masterpiece & it’s soundtrack is also stupid good & features loads of the rarer tunes played at the Club on a weekend.
It’s a simple story set on an interracial block of brownstone New York houses, in Brooklyn in the 1970’s. The attention to detail, from the music, to the toys the kids play with, is far out & it totally captures the 70’s vibe in a way that is gimmick free & smack on the money.
All the characters are highly developed & totally believable & we doubt you’ll see a better, or more emotive representation of family life anywhere else, by any other director, ever.
We won’t spoil it for you with the storylines, but we can say it’s just basically about kids, being kids & growing up in relative poverty, told from the perspective of a little girl in a large family of brothers.
The main thing that will blow your mind is the performances… All the actors are outstanding, but all the child actors are both hilarious, touching & quite simply out of this world.
To compare any of their performances to that McCauly Whatshisname in Home Alone, would be really ridiculous, as he is not even in the same ball park.
When you see it, you will get what we mean, you will know & you will also wonder just how come you had never heard of this truly amazing & life enriching, piece of art..?
So, as we reckon few of you may have seen this movie already, we recommend it to you with all our heart.
Watch it & see for yourself. Stories really can be this beautiful & talented black actors can get ignored at times & their outstanding work lay unappreciated, as fashion favours sugary yarns of panto kids, with scripted Hollywood twaddle, big budgets & blonde hair.
So, expand your mind & make sure you seek out & share in this touching, once in a lifetime experience.
We would like you to know that we have been meaning to write something about Crooklyn on our site for ages & these words have not been scribbled down at some time, moments after just after we have watched it. However writing them, has reminded us of how amazing this movie is & we are gonna go watch it again tomorrow!
If you stand at the bar, upstairs in WHQ & look up, to your extreme right…There is a photo of Spike Lee watching over the Club. We had this photo up at the Old Club (see History & Culture) & Spike has overseen proceedings in WHQ since day one.
In terms of the Club, we stand on his shoulders & without his influence & this movie, goodness knows how we would have percieved the world when we were growing up, being involved in musical business & raising families.
‘Like it says in the song…
‘Ooh Child, things are gonna get easier…’
Seek it out & when you take this steer… Please do accept it, as our gift to you x.
