Skin: Shedding Ugly Truths

I liked this film, but I did not think it was perfect. The main actors – Neill, Krige, Okonedo and Kgoroge – performed their roles well. Sophie Okonedo was not completely believable as the teen-aged Sandra Laing, but that’s a small quibble given Okonedo's gargantuan talent.

The scenes that disturbed me most showed Sandra enduring humiliating racial tests, bleaching and seriously burning her skin with a dangerous homemade concoction of chemicals, and coming to terms with her parents’ deep denial of their own racism. 

What really saddened me is that so many people are more concerned with debunking the notion that two white-looking people can (biologically) produce a black-looking child, than with South Africa's brutal, hateful apartheid regime that tore this family apart, and turned a beautiful young girl’s life into a living hell. 

Unfortunately, the “one-drop rule” and the notion of white racial purity (tying to white superiority) remain rampant today, even in the good old US of A. We will likely solve world hunger and cure every disease imaginable before we eradicate that one! 

Tryst: Never Love A Stranger

Mark Shanahan and Andrea Maulella

I have seen several plays staged by the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City, and I cannot remember ever being disappointed. Tryst is no exception.

This play took its audience on a wild ride with a con man seeking his next vulnerable prey, and the spinster who chooses to be that prey. As their two-day relationship progresses and their histories unfold, we learn that these two seemingly stock characters are much more complex than they first appeared. We learn that they both have secrets, fears, and severe emotional scarring. What happens next will not be revealed here. It suffices to say that the ending delivers a mind-numbing twist.

On a personal note, it was fun chatting during intermission with folks in the next row about the characters and their stories, and discussing how it might all turn out. After the play, my friend and I discussed Tryst over Thai food. What a perfect way to spend a summery Saturday afternoon in New York City!

The Help: Not So Helpless

I recently saw The Help, based on a book by Kathleen Stockett. The reviews were mixed, but mostly good. I liked it well enough, but I didn't love it.

I loved Viola Davis's performance as Abilene. I enjoy watching Ms. Davis do what she does best. I would pay to watch her pick up a rubber band! She inevitably imbues her characters with depth and nuance. I loved Octavia Spencer's fiery, sassy performance as Minny. It reminded me a little of Sophia in The Color Purple. Jessica Chastain was delightful as the social outcast Celia. I did not enjoy watching Bryce Dallas Howard's one-dimensional mean-spirited Hilly. It may be unfair to blame the actress because she may have been directed to play Hilly that way. But I found that character tiresome. Emma Stone's performance as Skeeter seemed, to me, adequate, but forgettable.

I grow weary of stories where white heros/saviors come to the aid of downtrodden colored folk, as if colored folk are unable to help themselves. It would have been more interesting if this story had been mainly about the maids and their ability to cope with constant degradation while keeping their dignity intact. Instead, this film seemed to focus on the two decent white people in town. Still, I'm glad I saw this film. I hope that next year the Oscar nominating committee remembers the standout performances.