88Nine’s Justin Barney and Milwaukee Film’s Kpolly are buds, they like cinema—they’re Cinebuds. This week on the podcast, we're talking about "Sorry to Bother You," which is showing now in Milwaukee and getting national well-deserved acclaim.
Read more and listen to the episode below to hear us scratch the surface of this clever film that uses a really funny surrealist alternate-present to critique our actual present.
"Sorry to Bother You" review
Lakeith Stanfield, from “Atlanta” and “Get Out,” stars in this movie as he gets a job as a telemarketer, learns to use his “white voice,” rises to the top of the call center, experiences an absurd and hilarious telemarketer culture and is propelled into the corporation's macabre reality of the fact that its basically profiting off slavery.
Stanfield is reason enough to see this movie, but in case you need more: Tessa Thompson is acting in it, Forest Whitaker is producing it and the hilarious "white voice" is dubbed over by comedians David Cross and Patton Oswalt. Plus, the screenplay and directing is being done by Boots Riley, vocalist of hip-hop groups The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club.
This is only his directorial debut, but with this movie, he's already found his spot as one of the greats of our time. He has an incomparable style that is fresh, funny and full of sharp social commentary and surrealism that's realer than reality. But, if we had to make comparisons, we'd say that this movie is kind of like a perfect combination of a Spike Lee and a Spike Jonze film. But, as soon as you start comparing "Sorry to Bother You," the list could go on forever. Critics have said they've caught elements of "Atlanta," "Get Out," The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Office Space" and tons more in the film.
"Sorry to Bother You" aims at many targets and hits them all, showing the evils (and the humor) in everyday racism, unions, code switching, capitalism, etc.
There is simply too much in this movie to unpack in one article and you just really need to see this for yourself. "Sorry to Bother You" required viewing in 2018 and will be for years to come. This is the kind of movie that you can watch multiple times and still notice new things and still find the old things funny.
Listen to the full Cinebuds podcast above to hear us scratch the surface on our favorite moments in the film (with some spoilers). And, go see this movie. It will make you laugh, it will make you think and it just might bother you—but that's the point, and Boots Riley is not sorry about it. It's screening now in Milwaukee.
Like what you hear? Subscribe to Cinebuds
And, check out RadioMilwaukee.org/Podcasts for our full lineup of weekly podcasts, delivered right to your computer or device.
Available on our site, on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.
Cinebuds is brought to you by Associated Bank.