The Man Who Couldn't - REVIEW

Jan 22, 2008 - 21:01 PM PST

Review Copyright Deesha Philyaw, 2006. Meet The Man. He s an L.A.-based, struggling filmmaker and cinephile whose work sometimes features female protagonists and is purposely not the stuff Hollywood blockbusters are made of. The Man aspires to higher ground. The Man is black, but his films are routinely rejected as not black enough for the black film festivals. The Man has no love life, a day job he hates, and is an admitted internet junkie. He enjoys a cyber-infatuation with the owner of monikacam.com, a webcam mistress. For a year, the lovely Monika serves as the object of the Man s self-pleasuring affections. The Man lives by an Axiom of Love which states that the making of great art requires suffering, and therefore, loneliness. So perhaps it s just as well that The Man content himself with Monika, who exists for him only in the cyber realm. The Man manages to keep his sense of humor in the face of frustration and rejection on all fronts with the help of his friends, a multi-culti cast of characters who are urbane, with some humorous and eccentric rough edges thrown in. The kind of folks you d want to discuss philosophy with...and then do tequila shots together. An unexpected face-to-face encounter between The Man and Monika changes everything. The two quickly fall for each other, but there is that pesky little webcam of hers. Monika is committed to living her life all of it in front of the camera. Many of her subscribers are like friends, and she insists that the cyber-connections we make are as legitimate and substantive, sometimes even moreso, than the ones we make in real life. The Man is very much at home behind the camera or even telling a fictionalized version of his own story in front of the camera...but exposing his most intimate moments for the viewing pleasure of an audience, which includes his buddies? Eh...not so much. This contradiction is not lost on the very astute Monika, played with natural appeal and ease by Micah Marie. So what s a Man to do? Give up his privacy, or the girl of his dreams? The Deal I found Brandon Green s turn as The Man most likable and three-dimensional when he was with Monika, alternatively falling for her and faltering when it came to being with her on the webcam. This is The Man s story, but writer Brandon Wilson also gives us a free-spirited black woman (Monika) whose comfort with her sexuality and self-determination are admirable, even if webcam exhibitionism isn t your cup of tea. A diverse and unpredictable supporting cast keeps The Man Who Couldn t from devolving into navel-gazing territory. Gaston (Grigori) and Biz (McMillan) are especially engaging, rough edges and all. Black Factor: Can I just tell you how great it is to see black folks not carrying the entire race on their backs in a film, but still representing very well? The characters in this film are funny, sexy, interesting, well-spoken, law-abiding, employed...and trifling, overly dramatic, self-centered, and silly. And there s also swordplay. Very refreshing. Bottom Line: The Man Who Couldn t is impressive in its own right, but particularly noteworthy as a small-budget feature film debut. The story is original, the performances are genuine, and even when characters are spouting theories about free will, you don t want to miss a minute of it. Anyone who laments the state of black cinema, anyone who wants to laugh and be entertained, anyone who hates romantic comedies...should see this romantic comedy. --3blackchicks.com