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Reviews
P.O.V.: Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North (2008)
Interesting ancestral journey
This is a very personal story. It is that of the many white Americans today grappling with their own ancestral identity, entwined in the horrors of the African slave trade. It is not really the story of the African American. But that's OK because everyone has feelings, everyone has the right to process their own past, 'tepid self indulgent' (quote from previous reviewer) whites included.
However my lower rating comes not out of criticism for the film's credibility, just that I am not a fan of these 'personal journey' type documentaries. I was hoping it was more informative and less egocentric, as it focused more on their reactions to places and events rather than a rigorous break-down of the North's involvement in the legal and illegal slave trade. More focus on slave plantations in Cuba would have been appreciated also. But again, that wasn't the purpose of this documentary.
On a side note: a particularly poignant moment in the film was near the end, where each of the family members discloses their educational history; 8/9 attended (or parents attended? Was unclear) Ivy League schools. That's not a coincidence. Money and privilege run down through the generations, as does poverty and disenfranchisement. These are symptoms of the past, which is why healing and understanding and ongoing support is so crucial for the historically subjugated.
Life on a Stick (2005)
Superb
I loathe- absolutely cannot endure- teen 'comedy' crass. I actually cringe when I change the channel and something like That 70's Show, According to Jim, or My Wife and Kids comes up. It has always shocked me that one genre can be so absolutely void of creativity, wit and intellect. Honestly, they are so predictable and weak it's a wonder they thrive the way they do.
So when my inability to go to sleep at a respectable time has me surfing late night television- though my expectations aren't high- I shudder when I land on what I immediately identify as teen crass. The well lit, obviously-a-set set, attractive young adults, and slight overacting; it's all there. I linger to hear and gauge the next punchline, to see whether it's worth my late night infomercial time.
I only had to wait a minute before realising that this show *actually* incredibly funny and intelligent; the responses to situations were so creative. The plot progressions were interesting, mature and quirky-- things only a week ago I would have died before associating with teen sitcoms.
This was the most original show of it's kind, and actually accessible to common youths. This is why I was appalled to see it get a pathetic 4.5 on this site-- oh my god, are you all insane? THAT 70'S SHOW HAS 8.4. That's EIGHT POINT FOUR. There is no way its stupid, bland humor can compare to the wit and intelligence of Life on a Stick. (Just for perspective, The Matrix has a rating of 8.6!) I know I couldn't write with the creativity and freshness of LoaS, and that's why I like it- it's a new experience.
The show was amazing, but it is more what it represented that had me so excited. A slap in the face to the commercial media that every day underestimates its audiences with the unintelligible crap it spews forth.
I can't believe it was axed. Cheap formulas. Unprovoking. Unchanging. Stagnation. I weep for our youth.