This is an epilogue to Do The Right Thing, a movie many people consider Spike Lee’s magnum opus, only in the sense that he uses it to reprise his role as Mookie. It’s a brief cameo feature but a touch of nostalgia nonetheless. Both movies focus on black people in the city of Brooklyn. I just happen to like this one a little more.

The acting on the part of the two child stars is surprisingly amateurish, especially the girl’s; her voice inflections are consistently wrong; but Red Hook Summer, as desultory as its plot may be, is never boring. That has mostly to do with the boy’s grandfather, a Bible-gripping bishop who preaches the gospel even when he’s not preaching.

He’s determined to introduce his grandson to “God”. And even if his cultic sermons fall on deaf ears, the church song performances he leads are enjoyable. The non-diegetic music, which plays even during scenes it shouldn’t play during; Spike Lee appears at the end wearing a “No Music” shirt, oddly enough; sounds good too.

Then there’s a major plot twist. It’s a sudden character reveal near the level of The Sixth Sense. The way it happens is, like the fire riot scene in Do The Right Thing, overdramatic and even a bit silly, but it sets the tone for an ending that, whether you can feel compassionate for the protagonist or not, is somber and moving.

my rating : 3 of 5

2012