Review of AMERICAN FICTION: Author Adaptation

Theolonious "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) was a black writer who was critically acclaimed, but his books were not selling well because they were "not black enough." While his session in a Boston book festival was empty, most people were excited to be in the seminar conducted by Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), a black female author whose latest book selling like hotcakes, despite seemingly propagating black stereotypes.  

While in Boston, Monk got together with his doctor sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) before going to visit his mother Agnes (Leslie Uggams), who was already showing signs of Alzeihmer's disease, and his estranged brother Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), a plastic surgeon who just had a divorce after coming out as gay. Meanwhile, Monk met Coraline (Erika Alexander), the lady lawyer who lived across the street, who turned out to be a fan of his work.

This film was written and directed by Cord Jefferson, a TV comedy writer who recently won an Emmy for HBO's "Watchmen" (2019). "American Fiction" was his feature film screenplay and directorial job, and here it is nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. This was a satire on writers and the publishing industry in general, with a specific focus and commentary on the current state of black literature in the United States. 

Jefferson's script was the clear star of this film, so sharp and so witty. He had adapted the 2001 novel entitled "Erasure" by Percival Ellis. This was an experimental work where Ellis embeds the whole offensive text of Monk's fictional book "My Pafology" (later retitled as "F**k") within his own novel. Jefferson followed the same distinctive style to fascinating effect as the film arrived at its conclusion in a number of alternative ways. 

Jeffrey Wright is best remembered for winning an Emmy in HBO's "Angels in America" (2003). Showing subtlety and mastery of wry comedic timing, he finally earns his first Oscar nomination as Monk. Sterling K. Brown certainly had the loudest role as the annoying gay brother Cliff, also earning him an Oscar nomination. I was also rooting for an nomination for Leslie Uggams who was a sublime presence onscreen, but it did not come to pass. 7/10