Thursday, February 10, 2011
PHOTOS |
COMING SOON|
EXAMINER.COM FILM ARTICLES
||HOME
Thursday, February 10, 2011
MOVIE REVIEW
Mooz-lum
Finding One's Place In A
Hateful Habitat
Evan Ross as Tariq in "Mooz-lum", a drama directed by Qasim Basir.
Louverture Films/Ameena Sky Media/Deep Blue Pictures
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
FOLLOW
Thursday,
February 10, 2011
As balanced and as riveting as Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing", Qasim Basir's
outstanding "Mooz-lum" represents well-crafted storytelling and
thought-provoking drama. Set in Michigan just prior to September 11, 2001,
the film's title represents the mispronounciation of "Muslim" (proper
pronounciation: "Muss-lim") as well as the prejudice and perceptions many in
America have about the faith. The film opens tomorrow in ten U.S. cities:
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia,
San Francisco, Washington, D.C.
Tariq (Evan Ross) has trouble adjusting to a secular life on campus in a
Michigan university. Much of his young life he's been raised in a strict,
rigid Muslim household by his father Hassan (Roger Guenveur Smith) and skeptical
but committed Muslim mother (Nia Long, excellent here). Tariq suffers the
slings and arrows of adolescence. Suffocated, trapped between two worlds,
he's a "tragic Muslim", as opposed to the "tragic mulatto" role Dorothy
Dandridge often occupied in her film heyday.
The strife within Tariq (or "T" as he prefers) is pervasive on campus, with its
insensitive dean Quincy Francis (Danny Glover) leading the way, playing a key
part in the ill-will on campus. A Muslim professor of history at the
unnamed college also weighs in, and the results are explosive. Some of the
most vivid parts of "Mooz-lum" are conveyed in black and white flashback,
especially Tariq's back story, elucidating his psychological tumult. Mr.
Ross does a great job of displaying discomfort and confusion, enduring
adolescent dilemmas and the indecision of commitment to his personal faith, in
the time of George W. Bush's America, combined with reactions to the fervor,
excitement and anger that those variables, plus intolerance, causes.
Within the imbroglio of its human relations "Mooz-lum" asks: Where does Tariq's
heart lie? Where is he most comfortable? And what of his family,
friends, fellow students and teachers? It's clear there remains much
hostility and anti-Muslim bias in America. Some of the prejudice and pain
is inflicted by those you may least expect. The complex terrain Mr. Basir
explores invites many questions and fewer answers. He balances the myriad
portrayals of those outside the Muslim-American community as well as those
within it. These differing character types on all sides within all groups
make "Mooz-lum" more potent and sincere than it would be were it designed
exclusively as a corrective to Muslim cinematic representations.
We identify with Tariq, a young man in search of a foundation. We are
treated to negative and respectful looks at the Muslim faith, not the dogma or
gimmickry of "fundamentalism" that too often resides as a password or byline in
the American consciousness. "The media", which memorably played an
indirect part in the ugliness that followed in the U.S. almost ten Septembers
ago, has a brief cameo here, but the film's director sends an unmistakable
message. Even more than the often strident, multi-dimensional players in "Mooz-lum",
the brief glimpses of a television broadcaster and his captive audience is more
unsettling and powerful than anything in "Mooz-lum".
Is the film's resolution of a dramatic moment an expedient one? Some
audiences will be fiercely divided on this question. I believe that what
transpires makes sense within the scheme of the film's journey. You will
instantly know what I refer to when you see the film. I think those
involved in the specific scene do the right thing, but the realism of that
crucial outcome represents a larger, more important point Mr. Basir emphasizes.
Deliberation and aforethought require immense courage, even in volatile times.
There's a constant balkanization and tension between mini-groups: a professor
and a dean; Tariq and his father, and the campus life Tariq feels at odds with.
"Mooz-lum" is absorbing and challenging, and one of its strengths lies in
the realization that heroes don't often save the day. Compassion however,
is not completely lost on some.
"Mooz-lum" is revolutionary as an American film in its positive approach to the
Muslim community in the U.S., so often depicted with stereotypes and in
one-dimensional fashion. Even those films claiming to support or advocate
for Muslims, whether they reside in America or the Middle East or elsewhere,
have often portrayed Muslim women as docile and subservient.
If Mo'Nique won the Oscar in 2010 for her unforgettable portrayal of a mother
only a mother could love, Ms. Long is a worthy contender for next year's Academy
honors as a steadfast woman in a male-oriented environment. She stands her
ground, and is as passionate and abiding a figure as you'll see on screen.
It's a role in which we're unaccustomed to seeing Ms. Long ("The Best Man",
"Love Jones"), one she takes on with unabashed confidence and glory. It's
one of the fullest, authentic and compassionate portrayals of a woman I've seen
on screen lately. The scale and care she invests in her character merits
Ms. Long a nomination.
"Mooz-lum" may be guilty of one-too many flashbacks, but these blasts from the
past engineer our deep compassion for Tariq. He's not always the most
likable or amiable person, but is the most troubled and sympathetic one.
Tariq transcends some of the most trenchant expectations audiences are bound to
have about his destination in life, and so does this marvelous, arresting film.
With: Dorian Merrick, Summer Bishil, Kunal Sharma.
"Mooz-lum" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association Of America
for thematic material and some violent content. The film's running time
is one hour and 35 minutes.
"Mooz-lum" opens tomorrow in ten U.S. cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit,
Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Washington, D.C.
You can also read this review
here on the S.F. Indie Movie Examiner page.
COPYRIGHT 2011. POPCORNREEL.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
FOLLOW
SUBSCRIBE TO THE POPCORN REEL MOVIE
REVIEWS RSS FEED
