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PEOPLE & ARTS Tuesday 17 July 2018

In ‘Blindspotting,’ simmering tensions with a beat

By JAKE COYLE start to impose too much on
Associated Press itself by the third act, when
“Blindspotting,” the direc- it was better just riffing. Still,
torial debut of Carlos Lopez it’s hard to remember a
Estrada, stalks the streets recent movie that so pow-
of Oakland with a height- erfully distilled social issues
ened, spoken-word flow, into a single relationship.
passionately freestyling on “Blindspotting” is a buddy
race, police brutality and movie, at heart, about
gentrification through a friends pulled apart by forc-
searing story about two es outside their grasp. Col-
friends: one black, one lin and Miles badly want to
white. ignore the differences cre-
Though stylistically scat- ated by their skin color, but
tershot and often over- it gets harder and harder
stated, the funky rhythm of for them not to acknowl-
“Blindspotting” undeniably edge their divergent ex-
finds a pulse. That’s over- periences of privilege and
whelmingly thanks to the justice, eventually leading
chemistry between its two This image released by Lionsgate shows Rafael Casal, from left, Daveed Diggs and Jon Chaffin in to a back-alley reckoning.
talented stars — Daveed a scene from “Blindspotting.” Oakland’s identity issues
Diggs, the “Hamilton” Tony- Associated Press become their own.
winner, and his longtime on track. Miles, with a grill ing just outside Collin’s win- vor with heavier thematic Diggs, who played Thomas
pal Rafael Casal — whose in his teeth and righteous dow. Collin is too fearful to moments. The ride can be Jefferson and Marquis de
characters’ relationship, fury at the changing face come forward, but the in- a riot, especially when Ut- Lafayette in “Hamilton,” is
like in a Tennessee Williams of Oakland, is buying a gun cident shakes him. In one karsh Ambudkar drops in as quite obviously an equally
play, steadily simmers until to protect his girlfriend and of the movie’s more vivid a hyper, awe-struck pass- talented film actor, so com-
it boils over in an emotion- their young son. Their paths digressions, Collin dreams erby to relate the story of fortably sliding from fiery
al, theatrical showdown. feel increasingly divergent, of himself standing trial with Collin’s arrest. (Sample line: monologues to deadpan
Diggs plays Collin, who has even as their devotion to the murderous cop as his “Who knew hipsters were comedy. (In one scene,
just days until his probation one another remains deep- judge, while choking on so flammable?”) the indelibly-haired Diggs
is over for a violent incident ly, sweetly sincere. bullets. In the daytime, Col- Diggs and Casal, a spoken- gets a perm.) He and Casal
vaguely referred to as a “We got kinda a Calvin lin regularly jogs through a word artist, wrote the film together are electric, and
“fire technicality.” He and and Hobbes thing going cemetery, as if he’s trying to together, and they once I only wish “Blindspotting”
Miles (Casal), his more hot- on,” says Miles of their rap- outrun the deaths of young considered doing it entirely didn’t so easily distract itself
headed lifelong friend, are port. While Collin is stopped black men all around him. in verse. That musicality re- from its central pair.
Bay Area movers who trade at a red light on his way As you can tell, “Blindspot- mains in the film’s DNA. On But there’s an upside to
poetic versus along their home one night, a black ting” isn’t shy about chan- the appeal of his freestyl- the film so eagerly jumping
routes while cursing the in- man runs in front of the neling topical concerns ing, Miles says: “They like from anguish to slapstick,
flux of hipsters to their once truck, turns down the street into hard-to-miss symbolism. the bounce of it.” Blind- from social drama to bud-
grittier neighborhood. and, just after pleading not There are coincidences, spotting” bounces, too, dy movie. “Blindspotting” is,
Collin is the cool, com- to be shot, is mercilessly too, that stretch plausibility, skipping scene to scene like the Oakland it so dearly
posed one, trying to lay gunned down by a white as Estrada juggles lowkey like it’s going track to track. loves, always many things
low and get his life back police officer who’s stand- scenes full of Oakland fla- But you can feel the movie at once.q

Cardi B leads MTV VMA nods with 10; Beyonce, Jay-Z nab 8

By MESFIN FEKADU recently released a col- fects and best editing.
Associated Press laborative album as The Justin Timberlake, whose
NEW YORK (AP) — The year Carters — are nominat- “Man of the Woods” al-
of Cardi B continues — this ed for eight awards with bum has underperformed,
time with 10 MTV Video Mu- “Apes(asterisk)(asterisk)t,” earned nominations for
sic Award nominations. which was filmed at the best direction (“Say Some-
MTV announced Monday Louvre museum in Paris. thing” with Chris Stapleton)
that the white-hot rapper Gambino’s “This Is Ameri- and best choreography
is the most nominated act ca,” which tackles racism (“Filthy”).
at this year’s show, which and gun violence, earned The best Latin category
returns to New York City’s him seven nominations. comes a year after MTV
Radio City Music Hall on Drake, who gave away didn’t nominate “Despa-
Aug. 20. $1 million dollars to Miami cito,” last year’s biggest
Five of Cardi B’s nomina- residents in his “God’s Plan” hit by Luis Fonsi and Daddy
tions are thanks to her col- clip, also scored seven Yankee, for any of its main
laboration with Bruno Mars nods. awards.
on the upbeat anthem, “Fi- In this Jan. 25, 2018 file photo, Cardi B attends the Warner Music Taylor Swift was shut out of It caused an outcry and
nesse (Remix).” The song’s Group pre-Grammy party in New York. the major categories, but even led actor John Le-
video, inspired by ‘90s Associated Press did nab three nominations guizamo to write an edi-
sketch comedy series “In “This Is America,” Drake’s lo’s “Havana” and Ariana for technical awards: Her torial for Billboard about
Living Color,” will compete “God’s Plan,” Beyonce Grande’s “No Tears Left to No. 1 hit, “Look What You Latinos being underrepre-
for video of the year along and Jay-Z’s “Apes(asterisk) Cry.” Made Me Do,” is up for best sented in not just music, but
with Childish Gambino’s (asterisk)t,” Camila Cabel- Beyonce and Jay-Z — who art direction, best visual ef- film and TV.q