An unconventional biopic
This is not the classic biopic about a well-known character, but a film that often overturns the point of view: the figure of Fred Hampton (the “Black Messiah”) is treated on an equal footing with that of Bill O’Neal (the his Judah) and this is precisely one of the strengths and originality of the whole operation.The viewer follows in particular the latter’s gaze towards a character by which he is, at the same time, attracted and rejected: O’Neal seems share in part Hampton’s vision, but his “engagement” with the FBI will take him in a completely different direction.
Shaka King talks about the past to reflect (also) on the present and, even with a few too many didactic passages, his work can be said to be successful, also thanks to the excellent performance of the cast.
Daniel Kaluuya stands out in the role of Hampton, so much so that he starts in the front row for the Oscar as best supporting actor, after having already won the Golden Globe in the same category.
Night in Paradise
Among the novelties there is also the South Korean «Night in Paradise», presented at the last Venice Film Festival. The protagonist is Tae-gu, the point man of a criminal gang, who tries to rebuild his life for the love of his sick sister and nephew. When the latter are killed in an accident, Tae-gu decides to take revenge. Eliminate another gang boss and flee far away, but something is not going to go right.
Before making his debut behind the camera, director Park Hoon-jung made himself known for writing the screenplay for “I Saw the Devil”, a film by his most famous colleague Kim Jee-woon. With “New World” in 2013, Park Hoon-jung also showed considerable talent for directing, although from that moment on he was no longer able to confirm his talents. He succeeds, at least in part, with “Night in Paradise”, film in which he demonstrates good skills in managing editing times and in the most dynamic sequences.The staging is overall effective and the characters are well written, but the film really knows a lot of already seen and suffers from the long overall duration (excessive about 130 minutes ), ending up being a bit verbose and redundant.