Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) User Reviews

A Play Put On Film

[Neon_Gold · 8/10 · 20 December 2020]

I didn't really know much about this movie going in so i was surprised to find out that it was based on a play but after watching it you can see that fact from a mile off.

The film is soaked in play-like monologues and limited sets and the framing. It works so well. It is such a dialogue heavy movie that it could run the risk of being a little bit slow but it is just that well acted and the dynamics and topics are so well thought out that you find time flying by while watching.

The characters are really 3 dimensional and you understand who they are. This is all backed up by the acting. For the most part everyone in this movie hits it out of the park. i really love Colman Domingo and he really shines in this film. He just has a charm that draws you to any character that he plays. Chadwick was really great too. His emotional scenes really sweep the rug out from under your feet and i really wasn't expecting him to be able to do that he was really great. And Viola Davis is just fantastic. I love how she just dives head first into her characters and just lives in them. It reads so well on screen. She just embodies the role even down to the way she walks is just done to perfection.

There isn't a whole lot of story because it is very character based but it does things to keep it fresh and i found it to be really shocking at times and took turns that you really wouldn't expect.

The costumes are also really well done. I would guess that they would get an Oscar nod because they are fantastic.

I would defiantly see this movie especially if you love character studies and want to feel like you looking though a window into a day in the life of these people.

Well-acted but unfulfilling

[domjames-56539 · 6/10 · 18 December 2020]

I thought it was very similar to Fences (2016), another August Wilson adaptation and unfortunately in both I found the dialogue very tedious. The performances in both are good, in this particularly Chadwick Boseman - he has he most to work with. I didn't find any part of the narrative compelling. I enjoyed the music, but so little of the runtime is spent actually playing music. Instead there's an awful lot of wordy bickering. I feel like 50% of the lines could have been cut and you'd be left with the same film.

The title might be Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, but it's Chadwick Boseman's last appearance that steals the show!

[msbreviews · 8/10 · 15 December 2020]

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Usually, at the end of each year, I prepare my watchlist for the next twelve months. Obviously, no matter how many movies I add to the list, I know dozens of more films will be announced and released throughout the year. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is one of them. I didn't know a thing about this flick, but it received the always interesting awards buzz, which turned it into a mandatory viewing before Christmas comes around. I went in knowing only one thing: this is Chadwick Boseman's (Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War) last appearance after he passed away a few months ago. I really didn't know what to expect from this Netflix's Oscar-bait, but I was afraid that Boseman's nomination chances were high only due to what happened in real-life instead of him truly deserving that recognition...

Well, I can safely and confidently write that Boseman delivers his career-best interpretation, and it wouldn't be unfair for him to get tons of awards posthumously. From an impeccable accent to his mind-blowing emotional range, passing through long monologues and uncut takes effortlessly, Boseman is the strong glue that holds everything in place. What seems, at first, a hangout movie (narrative without a clear central plot) turns into a character-study. Levee wants to follow his dreams, do what he does best in his own conditions and with his personal interpretation of music and soul. Boseman incorporates this character seamlessly, delivering a memorable performance that I hope will be remembered as a worthy Oscar winner if this situation ends up becoming true.

Even though Boseman is the actor that shines brighter, every single one is absolutely outstanding. Viola Davis shares the main spotlight with him by representing the (real-life) iconic blues singer, Ma Rainey. To be completely honest, I didn't know who this singer was nor how she impacted soul music. Ruben Santiago-Hudson first feature-film screenplay is packed with entertaining banter between the band members but also with heartfelt, gut-wrenching, shocking monologues that deeply explore a character's past and personality. Davis tackles every single line of hers with brutal intensity and extreme expressiveness, constantly offering 200% of her energy.

George C. Wolfe (first movie I see of his) demonstrates exquisite control of every scene and elevates the dialogue-driven narrative with an exceptional balance of tone and pacing. Tobias A. Schliessler's camera lingers beautifully on the actors, allowing them to showcase their abilities but also helping the viewer feel enthralled with their words by not creating any unnecessary technical distractions. Andrew Mondshein's editing also contributes a lot to the smooth pace that the film warrants, but it's Branford Marsalis' inspiring, soulful score that will probably encourage most viewers to enjoy the overall movie. Technically, I can't point out a single issue. Huge praise for the appropriate costume design and overall production value.

Honestly, I don't really have much to complain about. It might not have a conventional main plot, but it's also far from being a "nothing" film. As I mentioned above, the banter between Toledo (Glynn Turman), Cutler (Colman Domingo), Slow Drag (Michael Potts), and Levee is incredibly amusing and genuinely hilarious at times. However, it goes down through an unexpected dark path, ultimately culminating in a surprising finale. Every character has their own monologue containing details of their personal lives, which I regularly felt interested in, despite the repetitive structure. It works as a character-study, mainly about Levee and Ma Rainey, but also as a fun, good time that goes by quicker than I initially anticipated.

In the end, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is going to be forever remembered as Chadwick Boseman's last role. Call it destiny, but it's, undoubtedly, Boseman's career-best performance. Hopefully, if he ends up winning an Oscar posthumously, this won't be identified as a charity recognition but as a worthy, fair, triumphant celebration of his inspiring, impactful talent on-screen. Viola Davis also shines in this uncommon narrative, which focuses its spotlight on long, uncut, engaging monologues, captivating dialogues, and entertaining banter, all handled effortlessly by every actor involved. Despite the absence of a clear central plot, it's closer to a character-study than to a hangout flick. George C. Wolfe and Ruben Santiago-Hudson deliver a technically flawless movie with an excellent balance of its tone and pacing but also boasting impeccable cinematography, seamless editing, and a soulful score. It's definitely a serious contender for the awards season, so make sure to save ninety minutes of your Christmas season to enjoy this simple yet surprising story.

Rating: A-

Powerful, well-acted August Wilson adaptation

[bastille-852-731547 · 7/10 · 10 December 2020]

This August Wilson adaptation is set in Chicago in 1927, and follows a blues singer, Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) who is recording music in Chicago at the time. The film focuses on the dynamics between her, a white manager, and several people that work with her during the recording session, such as a horn player (Chadwick Boseman.) The film's performances are excellent. Viola Davis shows a strong range of emotion and wit, and Chadwick Boseman's charisma and command of his role are superb. It is an almost incomprehensible tragedy that Boseman passed away suddenly this year, and this is (sadly) his final performance. Wilson's dialogue is handled very well in the film; while the film generally feels like a play, it is fully engaging and properly paced. The dialogue is able to appropriately develop the characters, while also honestly coming to terms with the racial tensions and systemic discrimination that sadly plagued society during this period in time. The film also has terrific aesthetic values of the time period, from production design to costumes to cinematography. These aesthetics are not negatively impacted at all by the fact that the film largely takes place in a handful of mostly confined spaces.

While a relatively brief film in duration (94 minutes,) the film never feels too brief or unsatisfying. The pacing is deft yet thorough, appropriately contextualizing its characters and the situations they find themselves in--all while tying in to the blues music and the impact it has on the characters. Its conclusion is powerful and stirring, and appropriately feels like a fitting end to the narrative. The only major criticism I have of the film is that much of the film is relatively light on substantive plot, which does not always make the story as impactful as it could be. Even though the dialogue between characters is outstanding, some of the narrative could have used more "meat and potatoes" plot points to further evolve the course of the story. Otherwise, this is a powerful film that is well worth seeing. 7.5/10

Poor adaptation of a below average play

[yurik-lee · 4 January 2021]

Horrific overacting and a script that rambles and goes nowhere. Most of the film is taken up with individual stories about how the white man was evil, which became very tiresome very quickly. A few very daft plot twists that never went anywhere. This was more 'panto' than serious drama and those involved should be ashamed of the mess they produced. This film literally had no redeeming features

Not what I expected

[winkleramy40 · 6/10 · 21 March 2021]

I was hoping this movie was more about Ma Rainey. It was really more about the band. The acting was fantastic everyone was amazing in their part if the film.

Great performances, but....

[tacomamma1973 · 6/10 · 28 February 2021]

Although I have been known to watch and enjoy a mediocre film for a certain performance (Meryl Streep in "Iron Lady" leaps to mind) but sadly, not this time. While watching two undeniably great performance, I couldn't get a certain thought out of my mind, August Wilson plays are meant for the stage! I wanted to be entertained, I wasn't.

Performances!

[kjeltprent · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

This film is full of good performances. Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis shine in this movie. Chadwick was incredible. I am very happy to see him one more time, and what a performance he gives. The story felt a bit short. The story is not that special but I'll say it again, the performances are so good. That's why I give this film a 7.

Thank you Chadwick Boseman, R.I.P.

My comment in this film

[jvkypdwm · 6/10 · 18 December 2020]

The movie in general was a disappointment to me . but Viola's acting was excellent

In memoriam

[gsygsy · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

First things first. Chadwick Boseman gives a performance like nothing you've ever seen. The rest of the cast, led by the legend that is Viola Davis, is, as might be expected, tip-top, but Mr Boseman flies ever higher in every scene.

The film is based on a famous play by a great playwright who chose to write with a sense of melodrama that can still work in the theatre but somehow feels dated when transfered to the screen. The camera has to cope with the sheer size of performance necessary to capture set-piece speeches, which go against the grain of image-led cinema. Renowned Broadway director George C Wolfe gets the actors to the right temperature, but then has to find a way to make the project cinematic. The solutions here, apart from minimal opening out from the claustrophobia of the recording studio setting, are some mobile camera work and quite a bit of nimble editing. Curiously, though, these strategies simply emphasise the work's stage origins. What do work are the close-ups. They bring us closer to the characters than can ever happen on a stage. With an ensemble as fine as this one, the more close-ups the better.

So, MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, like the film of Wilson's play FENCES, is not satisfying as a movie, but as a record of a powerful play. Both well worth seeing. MA RAINEY is the greater, because of Chadwick Boseman. What an amazing actor. What a loss. What a legacy.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 3 May 2021]

Based on August Wilson's stage play.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is set in a hothouse atmosphere of a Chicago recording studio on one summer's day in 1927.

Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) a highly regarded blues singer arrives late to the studio. She makes demands which irritates the white studio executive.

Already at the studio is her backing band which includes the brash overconfident trumpet player Levee (Chadwick Boseman) who constantly clashes with his bandmates.

Levee dreams of writing his own songs and having his own band. He has had some sort of a promise from the same white studio executive about his more modern songs.

The film is stagebound and does not really open up. This was similar to Fences the Wilson play that Denzel Washington directed.

It is a contrast of two characters. The volatile Levee, he has dreams of a brighter future and a tragic past. He describes to his bandmates how his mother was gang raped by some white men. He later upsets them by blaspheming. Levee thinks he can get one up on the white man with his own compositions but he is in for a surprise.

Meanwhile Ma Rainey knows better because of her experiences. She can make demands knowing that she can have her own way until she records her songs and signs a release. After which she loses control until the next time she is needed to record a tune.

There is an undercurrent of tragedy in the screenplay. Levee is man who is lashing out against the world because of his pent up anger. One push too far could send him over the edge.

This was Boseman's last movie before his untimely death from cancer. He received an Oscar nomination and became a sentimental favourite to win. It was a good performance but to me it was not Oscar worthy.

The reason was because the movie was too much like a filmed stage play. Ultimately the film suffers because of this restraint.

Black Magic...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 28 February 2021]

A lesson in the art of acting and film making, as an exceptional cast of extremely talented actors portray several hours in a recording studio, the tensions as taut as any wire, the crimes of the times and their effects on those involved in full view - crimes perpetuated into today, sadly.

Hummmm ok

[rafaelriedel · 6/10 · 28 March 2021]

Good actors, nice background, but dialogues very long and tedious.

Excellent acting, great cast, but the movie as whole was boring.

[Brooklynsmagicmike · 4/10 · 19 December 2020]

I love Chadwick Boseman as an actor and got emotional seeing him in this. Especially with how skinny he was. Viola Davis did good job as well in her role. However the movie is incredibly draggy, the humor was dry, and nothing really happens at all. It just diddn't do it for me.

Boring and over-the-top

[truthspeaker-17825 · 6 February 2021]

This is the second over-praised film I have seen in recent times, the first being One a night in Miami. Both address black issues and history and both have valid points to make. Unfortunately, both are also dull as ditchwater, full of overacting, stuffed with inconsequential dialogue, characters getting angry with each other over nothing and over-the-top dramatics.

When I say "angry with each other over nothing", I mean that situations explode in second and people shout or fight with each other over things that have not been emotionally conveyed to the audience. Very often, due to the directors of these two films sticking with the limited scope of filming a stage production, they both feel like a parody of a stage play.

The scenes with Viola Davis feel most worthy of being on screen because she has an understated honesty in her performance and a valid underlying statement to make. But what helps this the most is being outside of the filmed stage play environment.

Unfortunately, most of the film involves her band in a room, telling boring, scenery chewing stories. I don't care what the subject matter is if I'm not given a reason to emotionally invest in the characters. Anyone can put a talking head on-screen and have them tell a sob story.

The main issue is that not enough has been done to take the stage play material and make it fit for cinema. Take, as an example, A Few Good Men, which feels nothing like the stage play it is based on.

There are reasons why stage acting is different to screen acting; you need to project voice and action from a stage to reach the audience at the back of the theatre. You don't need to be as forceful on screen. SO CHANGE THE PERFORMANCE!

The epitome of this over-the-topness comes when Chadwick Boseman shouts at God for a prolonged period and expects a reply.

Theatre adaptationists: must do better.

Boring !!

[ronaldoahmed-97985 · 6/10 · 19 December 2020]

Great acting by viola Davies and Chadwick Bozeman But the movie is really so boring

Where's the music???

[rklemm05 · 6/10 · 25 December 2020]

Probably the most deceptive trailer I've seen in years, if not ever...

The cast is great, but there's almost no music, no band performance (except for a brief moment at the very beginning), only musicians talking among themselves in a closed rehearsal room... I expected to see them on tour, playing for audiences etc... Like the trailer implies, doesn't it?

The few songs featured are great, though. So much so that it leaves you with a bitter taste of too little.

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is a play born for the stage, too theatrical for the screen

[tmpsvita · 6/10 · 20 December 2020]

The concept is great, an original way to make a biopic, a genre that is been abused in the latest years, especially the musical ones. But apart from the concept, the astonishing performance form Viola Davis, that lives in a perfect armony into Ma Rainey's body, and from some interesting moments, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is clearly born for the stage, is a play in every single aspect and the cinematic production didn't do much to make it different, to make it suitable for the screen, especially the streaming one. Everything is too theatrical: the screenplay full of dense dialogs that overlap, a static, claustrophobic direction and the exaggerated interpretations that most of the time are too dramatic or too elaborated to feel natural, real (expect Viola Davis' one). Chadwick Booseman was a great actor but even him seems to constantly search the applause or the looks of an audience that is not there, that can't be there.

Drawn into another world and culture of music

[rhmacl · 9/10 · 19 December 2020]

Immediately, as a viewer, I was transported to another time, another world of music and race and tension of which I am unfamiliar. But I know good performances. This cast was outstanding; and I am going to just brush over Viola Davis and Chadwick Bozeman because I know they will be celebrated for their work in this project. But Colman Domingo, Glynn Truman and Michael Potts all deserve equal attention for being the seams that keep this performance masterpiece together.

Outstanding moment of history and music and class and culture very well recalled, presented and preserved. Besides the outstanding acting, there is an unsurpassed script; the dialogue is head-spinning! The cinematography and sets are superior by every measure. Can't wait to see it again after sampling some of Ma Rainey's music.

I was mostly bored

[ilikeimdb · 6/10 · 21 February 2021]

Throughly predictable until the final scene, I had to force myself to stay awake unless Chadwick Boseman was on the screen. I know August Wilson and the director wanted to give the audience a taste of racial treatment and segregation in the 20s in Chicago but I didn't find the dialog nor the plot engaging. Ma herself wasn't engaging either...too predictable. Poignant? Not really. Very sad that Chadwick Boseman's career was cut short.

The Blues Singer

[Cineanalyst · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is certainly of interest as a biopic of the "Mother of the Blues" Ma Rainey (as played by Viola Davis) and for the last great screen performance from the late Chadwick Boseman as the fictional trumpeter Levee in Ma's band. Beyond this, it's partly hindered as an extension of the stage in the same way that Denzel Washington's adaptation of another of August Wilson's Pittsburg Cycle of plays, "Fences" (2016), was, but this adaptation by Ruben Santiago-Hudson and directed by Goerge C. Wolfe, although still including Washington as a producer, largely transcends its staginess by reflexively being about the process of adapting stage performance to recorded media, from musical concert to recording session--just as the movie is a recorded adaptation from live theatre. Unlike most filmed plays, its theatricality reflects its narrative.

Moreover, it's set in 1927, which, whether or not the filmmakers intended the allusion, was also the year of the film "The Jazz Singer," the heralded first feature-length synchronized sound film and film musical. Apt for a Netflix release about recording music, and, more than that, "The Jazz Singer," among other things, is also about what today might be more-politely termed cultural appropriation, as evidenced most notoriously in the blackface sequence. That 1927 film is about the clashing and harmonizing of cultures in general, really: part silent and part talkie, Judaism and show business, the whiteness of the film's jazz singer and the origins of the music from black musicians as called attention to in the controversial blackface worn by Al Jolson. Point is, some of the same issues are brought up in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."

Boseman's Levee wants to play his own, jazzier, more-swinging music as opposed to performing in Ma Rainey's "jug band," while at the same time there's no denying the influence of her blues on the history of popular music, including collaborating with the likes of Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. Ma also retains her own voice, whereas "Baby, Let Me Have It All" (which with its "jelly rolls" makes me think of Jelly Roll Morton, in addition to how raunchy these old tunes about "rolls" and the titular "bottom" are, but I digress) is coopted by a white band and studio owner. Besides this, the characters take part in a series of theatrical monologues and dialogues on racial issues, religion and other matters, and there's Ma's reported homosexual relationships, one of which was rumored to be with Smith. Again, such a connection may've not been intended--indeed, such an artifact of Jewish identity and white culture would be out of place here in a sense--but the parallels are manifold and felicitous in the sense of cinematic heritage.

Although its reflexivity, including a particular focus on the technical aspects of recording, are what raises this title above a mere filmed play, the costumes and production design also help, and there are a few different locales beyond the record studio to open the play up. Even the cinematography of the sweat on the figures' faces throughout the exhausting performances and hot-summer recording session recommends itself. The opening concert scene is a standout, and it, reportedly, includes the one bit of Davis doing her own singing. The rest said to be performed for by soul singer Maxayn Lewis. The same sources say Boseman actually learned to play the trumpet, although I would be surprised if his playing weren't also aided by modern sound-recording tricks. Regardless, Davis and Boseman headline a superb overall cast. Davis is especially imposing in looking the part of a legendary historical figure. And Boseman is surely the sentimental favorite for a posthumous Oscar this year, and his performance might just very well deserve it. There are a couple moments that are overly stagy--the more sudden outbursts of speechifying in particular, but even that may be followed by a helluva powerful monologue such as of Levee's story of his childhood. Overall, his performance transcends any fun-loving jazzcat stereotype in a similar vein to the picture overcoming its being a filmed play. The business with Levee's obsession with that "trap" door is a neat metaphor in both respects. He and his character become artists. It's a moving conclusion to a career tragically cut far too short. Yet, just as records immortalized the blues singing of Ma Rainey, or these adaptations have done for August Wilson's plays, motion pictures have done likewise for the artistry of Chadwick Boseman.

On the fence...

[adaptor · 6/10 · 25 January 2021]

I think the movie gets a 5/10 but the soundtrack rounds it up to a 6. Parts of this are good, IMO, but those parts are few and filled with the average. I wasn't familiar with the play, nor did I know that it was based on a play until after I watched it. So, I liked the acting for the most part, and some of the monologues, but the story felt a little forced for a movie. Also, I feel like the title having "Ma Rainey" in it is click-bait and I was expecting more Ma Rainey in the story. I'm not unhappy to have watched it once, but I doubt I'd watch it again.

Nice

[atractiveeyes · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

It's a beautiful movie. The performances are amazing and mind blowing specially by Viola Davis, that gives the year's best female performance, and Chadwick Boseman. The character study is great as well. The screenplay is awesome with many interesting and powerful lines. Cinematography, music, costumes and locations are all nice too. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a very nice movie but still it feels like it's missing something.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

[mbhgkmsgg · 7/10 · 18 December 2020]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a stunningly intense film. While it centres around the making of a record, it's not the music that makes it shine. It's the performances and dialogue that make it what it is.

Based on the trailer on Netflix, which was the only thing I had seen or heard about this film before seeing it, led me to believe that Ma Rainey's Black Bottom would mostly be about music. However, as soon as the film began, I promptly realized that that would not be the case. And while I did find myself longing for more music, the product that I got instead, was quite good. And that product is one of intensity, tension, and emotion. This film takes place in two locations. One being the recording hall in a recording studio, and the other the practice room in its basement. These two places offer very little on their own and work merely as the place where the characters and their dialogue get to shine. The two main characters, portrayed by Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis, shine the brightest, giving incredibly provoking and intense performances. And thanks to the limited and cramped locations, the intensity is amplified. The characters feel stuck with each other, even when they'd clearly want to be anywhere else but there.

The story, while simple, lends itself to some brilliant moments. It follows Ma Rainey and the challenges she and her band face while trying to record her latest album. Levee, the trumpet player of the band, doesn't quite see eye to eye with the rest of the band or Ma herself. As personalities and ideologies clash, the conversations and atmosphere heat up. As is quite evident, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom has a fairly simple premise as seen by its story and use of locations. It relies on strong characters with strong personalities and an even stronger script. Luckily, it has them all. The dialogue is simply stunning, and the intensity it is delivered with blew me away. It's simply non-stop. There isn't a moment in this film where I found myself thinking about something else. It kept me engaged from the very start to the very end. And while the conversations between characters, as well as the few musical performances, were good, what really stood out to me, were the monologues delivered, especially, by Boseman. The emotion he conveyed through them, and the complexity of his character that he showed in those few moments of speech, were simply stunning.

While this is a great film for the most part, and while it did keep me engaged, I sometimes struggled to connect with it. All the characters, but especially those of Boseman and Davis, really felt like characters. They didn't feel like real people and, as such, it was obviously clear that I was watching a movie. That isn't a bad thing in and of itself, but in the case of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, it took me out of what was otherwise a very engaging experience. It is, of course, wholly possible that this is what these people were actually like, and in that case, it is a very personal problem. However, what they ended up feeling like, were over-the-top versions of themselves.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ended up being a very refreshing film. It surprised me in almost every way, and for the most part, it did so positively. While I ended up hoping that there had been a bigger emphasis on the music, the intensity and fast-paced dialogue more than made up for it. Chadwick Boseman gives a stunningly powerful performance in what unfortunately ended up being his last film, and he, alongside Viola Davis, make this film as good, and enjoyable, as it is.

Dialogue heavy no soul

[rob-35208 · 4/10 · 22 March 2021]

For a film about the blues it has no soul, it's difficult to form a relationship with the characters, Ma Rainey is a hateful person with no redeeming features. Chadwick Boseman carried the film but it was way too heavy even for his talent. A dreary somewhat pedestrian handling of what should a good film, a real shame.