Cover
Directed by Bill Duke
Starring Aunjanue Ellis, Vivica A. Fox, Louis Gosset Jr., and...Patti Labelle?
Towards the end of “Cover,” down lo Dutch attempts to seek redemption at his local church. The pastor approaches him at the pew and tries to motivate him by saying, “Get on your knees and don’t get off ‘til you find the answer.” Of course the pastor means for Dutch to pray, but it stands to reason that “getting on his knees” was what got him into trouble in the first place. Dutch, y’see, has been cheating on his wife --- having soapy rendezvous with a man.
This is the premise for Bill Duke’s “Cover.” The plot, which is just a hair above black stage play level, circulates around a 15 minute interrogation that last for an hour and 38mins. Valerie Mass (played by Aunjanue Ellis, who is a lot better than this movie deserves) is suspected of murder. The film details the reasoning behind her motive, but Valerie is only guilty of being naïve. Who she may have murdered is part of the film’s mystery, and by the time that is solved, you’ll be thinking the real mystery is how she was exonerated.
I can’t weigh in too heavy on “Cover” because it’s not necessarily a bad movie. Director Bill “I’m gonna have me some fun” Duke does what he should. He goes out his way to examine this very real issue in the black culture. He rationalizes by invoking the sanctity of marriage, the religious right, cowardice, and the risk of HIV. Duke set out to make a straight faced commentary. Yet, “Cover” only works for the opposite reason. It entertains solely because of its’ daytime television antics.
I also can’t take “Cover” too seriously. Duke, who is (was?) the head of Howard University’s film department, makes one consistently bizarre mistake. Plenty of scenes lack continuity. I’m not just talking about a coke can moving from one side of the frame to the other. No. Actors, literally, seem to teleport between cuts. It happens not just once, but multiple times.
For the film not to feel so hokey more emphasis could’ve been put on Dutch. Watching the film you already know he’s an “undercover brother,” yet the film treats it like a surprise when the moment arrives. I know this indicates re-working the whole structure of the film, but at the same time watching a person deconstruct, spitting in the face of better judgment, is a lot more interesting.
Directed by Bill Duke
Starring Aunjanue Ellis, Vivica A. Fox, Louis Gosset Jr., and...Patti Labelle?
Towards the end of “Cover,” down lo Dutch attempts to seek redemption at his local church. The pastor approaches him at the pew and tries to motivate him by saying, “Get on your knees and don’t get off ‘til you find the answer.” Of course the pastor means for Dutch to pray, but it stands to reason that “getting on his knees” was what got him into trouble in the first place. Dutch, y’see, has been cheating on his wife --- having soapy rendezvous with a man.
This is the premise for Bill Duke’s “Cover.” The plot, which is just a hair above black stage play level, circulates around a 15 minute interrogation that last for an hour and 38mins. Valerie Mass (played by Aunjanue Ellis, who is a lot better than this movie deserves) is suspected of murder. The film details the reasoning behind her motive, but Valerie is only guilty of being naïve. Who she may have murdered is part of the film’s mystery, and by the time that is solved, you’ll be thinking the real mystery is how she was exonerated.
I can’t weigh in too heavy on “Cover” because it’s not necessarily a bad movie. Director Bill “I’m gonna have me some fun” Duke does what he should. He goes out his way to examine this very real issue in the black culture. He rationalizes by invoking the sanctity of marriage, the religious right, cowardice, and the risk of HIV. Duke set out to make a straight faced commentary. Yet, “Cover” only works for the opposite reason. It entertains solely because of its’ daytime television antics.
I also can’t take “Cover” too seriously. Duke, who is (was?) the head of Howard University’s film department, makes one consistently bizarre mistake. Plenty of scenes lack continuity. I’m not just talking about a coke can moving from one side of the frame to the other. No. Actors, literally, seem to teleport between cuts. It happens not just once, but multiple times.
For the film not to feel so hokey more emphasis could’ve been put on Dutch. Watching the film you already know he’s an “undercover brother,” yet the film treats it like a surprise when the moment arrives. I know this indicates re-working the whole structure of the film, but at the same time watching a person deconstruct, spitting in the face of better judgment, is a lot more interesting.
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