My students joke that I hate all movies. That is a little bit of an exaggeration, but it seems like in some ways it is partially true. I seem to find little of value in mainstream Hollywood cinema. There is much talk about The Butler and I will probably see it and it probably will be as good as I’ve heard. However, I am not excited about it. It is rare that I see a movie that lives up to the hype. I am a little opposed to movies like The Butler and 42 on principle.
One film that I am looking forward to is called Mother of George. It features non-Americans and seems to involve clever cinematography. I think that small movies like this remind me that if not for their presence, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reminds us, “we are at danger of believing in a single story.” The film adaptation of Adichie’s Half a Yellow Sun is definitely on my watch list too.

Mother of George Trailer

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk