BlacKkKlansman

Continuing my run of awards films is Spike Lee's 2018 BlacKkKlansman which has been nominated for six categories and has earned a lot of praise amongst the critics. It has been sometime too since this busy director had a film so popular given his miss-fired attempt to remake Oldboy in 2013 but could this be Spike's year?

Based on a true story, John David Washington's African American police office Ron Stallworth attempts to infiltrate the KKK with the help of his Jewish colleague Flip, played by Adam Driver. With Ron making the phone calls and Flip putting his life on the line undercover, BlacKkKlansman delves into a part of 1970s America which Spike reiterates is not all that different to today.

On the face of it, this bares a lot of similarities to the forgettable Imperium, starring Daniel Radcliffe, but Lee's direction gives this film an energy and style which balances the cold reality of what actually happened with great moments of poignant humour. Washington is certainly a chip off the block from his father but it is almost unfortunate that his white cast-member Driver is the one who truly impresses as the internally conflicted Flip and who received an Oscar nomination. The chemistry between the two is great and the film shines when they're together, meanwhile the more conventional investigation aspects are where the film dipped more me.

Looking back this could have benefitted from some tighter editing and it does stray a little too far over the two hour mark but nonetheless this is still a well written and engaging film with a very strong ending that carries an important message. Films that tackle hard truths will not be everyone's cup of tea but I would certainly recommend this.