Regina Hall & Sterling K. Brown Shine – newsdubai
Ever since Hoot for Jesus. Save your soul premiered most recently Sundance Film Festival, it has stood out in my memory for how accurate and fun it is. While the narrative of a mockumentary has been done to death in various movies and shows, there was something about this that made it feel fresh. Much of this is due to how completely Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown embody their characters, giving multi-layered comedic performances that shift to more dramatic when the cameras roll off without missing a beat. That said, while both actors deserve all the credit that has come their way for their work, one would be remiss not to give all the flowers to the writer-director The Adama tribe. First brought to the screen as her short film, she has given it new life as a feature debut that is both uncompromising and outrageous. While undeniably a character study with both actors at the top of their game, the story itself is perfectly suited for them to shine.
It follows Triinitie Childs (Hall) and her clergyman husband Lee-Curtis (Brown) as they deal with the fallout from serious allegations against him. Trinity, as the first lady of their mega-church, is expected to stand by him as they desperately try to bring back the congregations that have since almost all gone to their competitors. So what to do when faced with criticism for hypocrisy and abuse of power? Why, you can just hire a documentary film crew to create a flattering portrait of you and your church! That way, you can save face without actually having to do any of the real work of repairing the damage you’ve caused. As the pair sit side by side atop their ornate golden thrones, it becomes clear that Lee-Curtis believes this will allow him to create a new narrative for himself. We witness how Trinitie is less confident when she speaks directly to the documentary crew and does so on purpose while he was away. What could have been a gimmick instead is an interesting framing mechanism that makes the most of the concept as we see both actors give performance upon performance. It weakens the hollowness of many of those who claim to be moral authorities.
This is felt in how Lee-Curtis is a charismatic showman who still believes he can deliver his own outstanding performance even after the audience has gone home. That he is a devout follower of the prosperity gospel who just seems to go on and on makes it all too believable that he would then start preying on the very people who came to him for guidance. Brown is frighteningly good at infusing the man with a grim sociability and revealing how easily he could use his status and power to manipulate others. The gracious priest we see playing for the cameras is just a creation of the arrogant and self-absorbed man behind the curtain. What could have been a mere imitation of this type of character becomes something deeper as Brown channels the charm and cruelty through every scene he is given. Lee-Curtis plans for his return to take place on Easter Sunday, where his ego will be on full display as he tries to transform himself into a Christ-like figure who will be resurrected as opposed to the truly awful man he is. Although Brown has always been a dynamic performer, this role proves to be his best yet.
However, it is Hall who is the real star of the show. In the simplest of expressions, from a forced smile to a concerned grimace, we slowly begin to see doubt take hold of her character. Of course, Trinitie is by no means the moral center of the story, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing how she benefits from her status. Hall is ruthless as she carves out all the comedy that exists in this reality that Triniti lives in, gradually revealing to us the complicated nature of the character and her inner perspective on everything that has happened. To anyone who has been lucky enough to see her great work in this year’s horror films Masterwhich also premiered at Sundance, or the still-unseen film from 2018 Support the girls, it will come as no surprise that she is more than capable of navigating complex storylines with ease. While it doesn’t quite mine the full potential of the premise here, Hall’s performance elevates everything. She helps smooth out some of the rougher spots where themes don’t quite connect. The range that she is able to demonstrate over a few key scenes towards the end is truly exceptional to behold. While comedic performances are often underrated in end-of-year conversations, it’s undeniable that Hall gives a commendable performance here. Trying to think of others who could take on this character and all their many contradictions so expertly would prove a fool’s errand.
Obviously, the hardware that’s taken home each year usually misses out on the more nuanced performances like the ones that take place here in favor of the corny biopic that gets trotted out, but Hall still deserves to be in any awards conversation . As a formal exercise, the film will often shift dramatically in tone and visual style. Often this is done to great comic effect, with the juxtaposition between two sequences singing. One particular moment “Knuck If You Buck” uses to absolute perfection, forever ensuring that no other film will ever be able to match it. The ending is appropriately cynical in how stuffy it all feels, but probably would have benefited from more time to breathe. This is also where it reaches a bit of a ceiling on how thoroughly it can wrestle with the full depravity of Lee-Curtis. It ends up softening the full impact of the satire a bit. Yet a scene where the priest eventually becomes almost completely silent after speaking almost non-stop speaks even though he doesn’t. Such a conclusion may well lose some people, but the more understated way it ties everything together is suitably subtle in how bleak it is. The effect of seeing the couple’s carefully managed personas torn apart and their hypocrisy exposed is as comical as it is cathartic.
Evaluation: ONE-
You can see Hoot for Jesus. Save your soul in cinemas and at the Peacock from September 2.