American Fiction

In his penetrating and rib-tickling debut, American Fiction, Cord Jefferson is truly determined to elaborate on modern racial politics. Jefferson adapts Percival Everett’s novel Erasure and explores the recovery potential of a wrong deed. 

The film tells the story of Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright in an Oscar-worthy role), a gifted, but not-so-popular writer. When a frustrated Monk decides to write a pseudo-novel to satisfy his publishers that epitomises all the racial stereotypes he genuinely despises, Monk isn’t aware of the future consequences. The script heavily relies on the snowball effect, as one white lie sets up a domino-like impact, which significantly affects Monk’s life.

Monk is unwilling for his novel to be published. But, a sudden tragedy in his family, his mother’s (recognised for her role in Roots, Leslie Uggams) unforeseen sickness and an attempt at reconciliation with his brother, Cliff (the superb Sterling K Brown), who recently came out and lost everything he has deeply treasured, changes his mind. The movie ponders on the idea of losing your own identity for the greater goal, like financially securing your own relatives, and the final outcome is intimidating.

The novel suddenly becomes a bestseller, yet Monk cannot accept it. Contrarily, he believes that black people, by doing such disingenuous things as writing this fake book, indulge in white people’s expectations and fantasies about their culture and uniqueness. However, on his way, Monk will meet people thinking differently, believing that change can come by adjusting to the current situation; their voices somewhat echo Sidney Poitier’s acting efforts from the 1960s.

As a debutant, Jefferson has been readily able to propose a consistent film that both knows its limits and realises its topic’s importance. While it is mostly an exuberant satire, which depicts the world through real lenses, at its core, American Fiction is a mumblecore drama. The script includes some gentle touches about dysfunctional families, finding meaning in new relationships and subduing hidden traumas. 

Jefferson’s dead-on critique, in which Noah Baumbach’s comedy-drama meets Spike Lee’s bravado and spot-on remarks, is an unexpected gem and, most importantly, a rich film, which links its wittiness with scintillating humour and unforgettable characters. Invested in social and racial tensions in the 21^st-century US, it does not try to find cheap or even in-your-face solutions. 

Regardless, it thoughtfully underlines problems related to losing identity or crossing swords with structural racism. Jefferson knows he’s only a film director, whose actual task is to leave some food for thought to the audience. In fact, this is exactly what we should expect from a satirical triumph like this.

Jan Tracz

American Fiction is released nationwide on 2^nd February 2024.

Watch the trailer for American Fiction here: