Cord Jefferson (The Good Place, Watchmen) directs this screenplay he co-wrote with Percival Everett (based on his novel Erasure) about Black novelist Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who’s told by his publisher that his most recent manuscript isn’t “Black enough.” In response and under a nom de plume, he pens a satire that panders to Black culture, sending it to publishers out of spite, only to discover he’s a literary sensation. Is he willing to assume his nom de plume’s thug identity to carry on and profit from the ruse? (117 min.)
Glen: This is another one of those 2023 award-worthy films that we’re just seeing in theaters locally, and oh my, it’s a sly and bitingly funny piece of work. Monk is a serious and critically acclaimed but poor-selling novelist who makes ends meet by teaching at a Los Angeles college. A perpetual grump, he’s troubled by novelists like Sintara Golden (Issa Rae) and her novel We’s Lives In Da Ghetto, which he thinks is full of insulting stereotypes. Visiting family back home in Boston further darkens Monk’s mood, leading him to assume the name Stagg R. Leigh and pen the manuscript My Pafology, meant to skewer the expectations foisted upon Black authors and insult publishers for wanting such dreck. It backfires when he’s offered a $750,000 advance at a time when he’s desperate for money to care for his ailing mother (Leslie Uggams). What follows is Monk’s struggle to make sense of the success of his joke novel while balancing a complicated personal and family life. It cuts to the quick.
Anna: Monk is a man who needs to be taken seriously and takes things very seriously himself. He’s from a family of doctors and can’t help but feel a bit like an “other,” even though he has success as an author. His love and resentment for his family are both felt as he comes home. His sister has been carrying the burden of their mother’s care as she slips further into forgetfulness, and his recently out brother, Cliff (Sterling K. Brown), is living in a bit of a Peter Pan’s Lost Boys world—one he denied himself for years living as a straight man. Monk meets neighbor Coraline (Erika Alexander), a beautiful woman he starts to date, but soon enough he can’t help but to sabotage their budding relationship when he judges her choices as suburban and pandering. The film is funny and frustrating, and Jeffrey Wright does a wonderful job at inviting the audience along to feel his character’s frustration and anger over what he sees as bad literature eclipsing good in the court of public opinion.
Glen: Monk is a man who deep down doesn’t seem to want to be happy, and he has a hard time loving others since he doesn’t seem to love himself. He’s beaten down by injustice, even though he comes from a privileged background. The message is clear: Everyone has their own burden to bear. Partway through the story, Monk learns Hollywood producer Wiley Valdespino (Adam Brody) has optioned his story for a film, and as the movie comes to a close, things get very meta as multiple possible endings are explored. It’s a new approach to American race relations, and as we look into the mirror it holds up to us, we seem ridiculous. I loved it.
Anna: I really enjoyed it as well. Monk isn’t unlikeable, but he certainly can be a tiring person to be around. His attitude can come off as holier than thou, but it all stems from his insecurity and unhappiness. The film manages to stay funny and light while also delving into some real tough stuff—what we think of ourselves, what others think of us, and how we let the two duel it out in our minds. I highly recommend this one!
New Times Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Comment at [email protected].
