![]() It’s also a pro-union rallying cry, a broadside against capitalism and greed, and a monster movie. The plot of Sorry to Bother You-to the point that you could even call it a plot-is a phantasmagoria about racial identity and plain old human dignity. ![]() The thing he’s so good at selling turns out to be slave labor, part of a scheme hatched by a coked-up, faux-laid-back corporate mastermind, played by Armie Hammer.Īnd that’s not even the half of it. He moves out of that garage and into a sleek apartment-but he also begins losing Detroit’s love and respect. Even though it proves to be dismal, he excels at it-but only after he takes the advice of an experienced co-worker (played by Danny Glover), who advises him to use his “white voice.” (The super-uptight nasal tones that flow from Cassius’ mouth when he’s on duty come courtesy of David Cross.)Ĭassius is so good at this job that he advances quickly to another division, where he makes a lot more money. So Cassius is thrilled when he lands the gig, which entails selling encyclopedias over the phone. His artist girlfriend Detroit (the wonderful Tessa Thompson) loves him, but she’s not making a ton of money either. He’s behind on the rent, which could mean his uncle would lose the house. ![]() He’s living in a surreal version of present-day, or near-future, Oakland, in an apartment carved out from his uncle’s garage. Stanfield plays Cassius Green, who, as the movie opens, is trying to lie his way into a not-particularly desirable telemarketing job. It’s about anxiety and ambition, about wanting to build a better life but also having a conscience. It’s hard to give a good performance in a piece of agitprop: Heavy-duty ideas have a way of steamrolling actual human beings. And its star, Lakeith Stanfield, gives us something to watch every minute. But Sorry to Bother You has energy and passion, two qualities in short supply in filmmaking these days. As a piece of filmmaking, it’s far from perfect: The pacing is herky-jerky, and even a wild work of fantasy-satire like this one doesn’t have to drive every one of its ideas into our heads with such a heavy mallet. Sorry to Bother You, the brash film debut from musician and activist Boots Riley, is the most of-the-moment movie on the landscape right now-it may end up being the most politically and culturally relevant movie of the year.
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