April might become “release a great Black movie” month. Twice in two years Black folks are getting movies worth getting excited about. Last year it was Sinners. This year it is Michael.
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I am not being paid by the filmmakers to say this but hear me when I say it: you should absolutely be excited about Michael. Let me give you a few quick reasons why this film is worth the hype.
This Rarely Happens
I’ll give you one reason to support this film. We rarely get big-budget cinematic events centered on Black icons.
Dreamgirls and Ray were massive films centered on Black artists. (The former was a film about a music group that was modeled after the Supremes and the latter was about Ray Charles. And since I have the mic, let me say I’m still pissed Eddie Murphy didn’t win an Oscar for his performance.)
But name another movie this big about a Black artist? Ok. Ok. Respect. That was a movie. As was Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
But if we are being honest, neither of those movies was very good. And they certainly are not getting the hype this one is getting.
This a Blackety-Black film
As I said above, we rarely get big-budget cinematic events centered on Black icons. But when we do, they are almost never directed by a someone Black.
Ray was directed by Taylor Hackford. Dreamgirls was directed by Bill Condon based on a musical written by Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen. What do you think all those people have in common?
And that is not to say white folks can’t make good films about Black artists. But the fact that Antoine Fuqua, director of films like Training Day, The Equalizer trilogy and Emancipation is at the helm of Michael something to be celebrated and supported. (It is also clear that Denzel trusts Fuqua. So that means we can trust him to direct the hell out of this film.)
You Will Not Be Disappointed
Remember All Eyez On Me that came out in 2017? Or Nina that came out the year before?
Let us just call a spade a spade. Those movies were terrible. And Respect was not much better. That is why all three bombed at the box office.
I have seen Michael, and rest assured that this ain’t that. You will not be disappointed if you go on opening night and watch it on the biggest screen possible. In fact, you might find yourself involuntarily dancing in the aisles.
Straight From 
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