Two New York films this week-end with native New York directors. Let me begin with a loud round of applause for Andrew Shea's documentary of a Nazi looted oil painting and one family's determined efforts to reclaim it. And correct a mistaken notion that an Austrian powerful collector of art could hold on to what does not belong to him. And please....Austrian art from this period of time? In the private apartment of a Jewish woman who owned an art gallery? One need not be a historian of the fine tuned relationship between Austrians and Nazis to determine who would be rightfully awarded ownership. But 13 years in correcting this! With New York's powerful Art Museums and their Board of Directors fighting this. Bless Robert Morgantheau...a bull dog with a bone. Professor Shea is a former New Yorker, lawyer and now a filmmaker and RTF teacher. I've had the good fortune to act in one of his classes and was delighted to see him once again at the Q&A. Packed house at the Violet Crown. Do not miss this!
Alas, Spike Lee's film about a notorious housing project where so many of my clients in Brooklyn lived was a major disappointment. The casting was terribly flawed with actors delivering sermons (even the kids), an undeveloped story line, amateurish photography and where was he going with all of these sermons? I went to this film to be reminded of a slice of Brooklyn I worked with so closely. The address on Lorraine Street had some of the most disenfranchised and impoverished families I have ever engaged. And instead I saw bright lights, bright colors, kids moving in and out of stairwells with no graffiti on the walls. Help! Clear to me Spike was out of touch on this one. His Fort Greene private school background shined through.
I will see this documentary and liked Spike Lee's film. Different strokes!
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