‘Small Axe’ anthology opens strong with courtroom drama ‘Mangrove’
A new project from an acclaimed filmmaker is reason enough to be excited. Steve McQueen, director of “Widows” and the Oscar-winning “12 Years a Slave,” gifts the end of 2020 with five original projects.
His “Small Axe” anthology consists of five distinct-but-related films about the British black experience, more specifically the West Indian immigrant community in the 1970s. Three of the films met acclaim earlier this fall at the New York Film Festival and are now releasing weekly on Amazon Prime.
The first film, “Mangrove,” follows the trail of the “Mangrove Nine,” a group of activists in Notting Hill, London who stood against police harassment and brutality and ended up being accused of inciting a riot. The fact-based film echoes recent events as well as the plot of another high profile, historical drama streaming title this fall, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix.
The story focuses on Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), owner of the Mangrove restaurant, who, almost unintentionally, finds himself at the center of a larger clash between an overaggressive police force and a growing local faction of the Black Panthers. Letitia Wright, Rochenda Sandall and Malachi Kirby (star of the recent “Roots” revival) also play key dramatic roles as other defendants in the case.
Unlike some of the time jumping elements of “Chicago 7,” McQueen’s narrative unspools in a more linear fashion, with the first half of “Mangrove” establishing the players and culminating with a street clash between police and activists, which then leads into the second half’s courtroom theatrics. Those proceedings prove to be explosive thanks to the film’s early groundwork though smartly never veers too far into shouty-melodrama.
Sorkin’s “Chicago 7” will be a major Oscar player in this year’s COVID-ravaged race, while the entirety of McQueen’s “Small Axe” appears headed for television competition. It’s impossible not to compare the two films given the subject matter, and McQueen’s courtroom drama is decidedly more cinematic next to the talkier “Chicago 7.”
McQueen’s off-kilter image composition frequently adds artistic complexity to even the most expository moments in “Mangrove,” much like how he turned the heist story of “Widows” into something more thematically resonant.
The performances in “Mangrove” are star-making without being showy, though many already know the scene-stealing capability of Wright from her performance as Shuri in “Black Panther” and the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Mangrove” proves to be successful on three fronts: as a well-crafted piece of dramatic art, as a unique history lesson and as an urgent commentary on recent events. It’s an incredible start to an anthology, making anticipation for McQueen’s next four installments of “Small Axe” even greater.
The second film, “Lovers Rock,” debuted this weekend on Amazon Prime. It will be followed by “Red, White and Blue” (with “Star Wars” breakout John Boyega), “Alex Wheatle” and “Education” on Fridays through Dec. 13.
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Tyler Wilson has been writing about movies for Inland Northwest publications since 2000. He co-hosts “Old Millennials Remember Movies,” available everywhere you find podcasts. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.