Facebook fan page- Dirty Laundry
What I love about Netflix as opposed to wandering around the New Releases wall in Blockbuster, is that I can research all kinds of movies. I’m not a big movie person in general. I couldn’t rattle off actors in a film or even recall a plot within minutes after walking out of a theater unless it left a lasting impression on me.
I like movies where people have to overcome obstacles, coming of age, good story lines and less emphasis on special effects. I’m basically not Hollywood rather more on the indie side of the fence. My great gal pal in NC got me into Netflix, and I like using it to stay connected (she usually picks great movies). Now, I also have come to like it more because I like searching for “buried treasures”.
I hadn’t heard of the movie “Dirty Laundry,” but the short summary caught my eye.
Talented, gay and African-American, Patrick (Rockmond Dunbar) is a rising journalist at a New York City magazine who suddenly must confront his Southern roots and a mother not yet comfortable with her son’s choices and sexual identity. Patrick and his partner’s perfectly cosmopolitan world is shattered when an unexpected knock at their door brings to the forefront the issue of lifestyle acceptance within the down-home community of his youth. (source: Netflix)
Like my theater rounds, sometimes I score and sometimes I completely strike out. This was a score. If you can get into the Tyler Perry plays or movies, then this is in that realm. Beyond the fact that the main character is gay, it covers issues that hit so many families: the judgment of others, the impact of matriarchs on the lives of their children, playing favorites within the family, living up to expectations, finding your passion, etc. I identified with Patrick’s love for writing, something I’ve recently rediscovered. I grew up having a diary since I was in the 1st grade. My first diary mysteriously disappeared under very similar circumstances that Patrick’s did in the story, and I still grieve not having it to reference today. I also can relate to the dynamics in a big family, being the oldest of 5.
So, if watching a black film makes you squirm in your seat a little, I’d ask you to be open if any of the movie’s themes are things that are normally appealing to you.
I’m not so great at writing movie reviews, but that’s my take on it. If you want more details, check out:
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TRAILER: “Dirty Laundry”
(click here to view directly on YouTube)
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Maurice Jamal (Twitter: @MauriceJamal)- writer, director, and actor in this film…awesome job! Nathan Hale Williams- producer…kudos to you, too! It looks like this got released in theaters December 2007, but I’m guessing, as with many black films, it was only in a limited number of theaters and for a limited time. I honestly don’t even recall seeing or hearing about it.
Ifelicious says “check check it out!” 😛
Read more about Maurice Jamal and his body of work right here on Ifelicious! –> CLICK HERE
Related Links
- The Backlot– Review of Maurice Jamal’s ‘Dirty Laundry’
- About.com– Maurice Jamal, his Dirty Laundry and The B-Boy Blues
- Living Out Loud with Darian– Maurice Jamal’s Dirty Laundry
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