#Gary International Black Film Festival Film Review: ‘#Truth.’
Director, writer, producer and filmmaker Charles Murray spares no one’s morals in journalism drama.
By Lisa D. DeNeal
UPDATE: The Gary International Black Film Festival awards Charles Murray’s ‘#Truth’ with the 2019 Judges Award for Best Narrative Feature!
The 9th annual Gary International Black Film Festival was held in Gary, IN at Indiana University Northwest October 11–13, and filmmaker, director Charles Murray, one of the city’s native sons returned to screen his latest film, ‘#Truth.’
‘#Truth’ has multiple story lines that center around close-knit cousins Stewart(Dorian Missick) and Lanie Cooper (Simone Missick). Lanie has an affair with a well-known reverend and is shamed by her ex-boyfriend who posted about her ‘whorish ways’ on social media. Lanie confides in Stewart, who is an unemployed journalist dealing with his own issues. Despite his encouraging words, Lanie is broken. Hours later, Stewart finds his cousin’s lifeless body in her apartment, an apparent suicide. This sends Stewart on a destructive path in finding those responsible for Lanie’s suffering.
View the #Truth trailer here: https://vimeo.com/339887081
Using his investigative reporting skills, Stewart goes after Lanie’s ex-boyfriend, Mark Evans (Kevin Phillips) who posted an ugly message about her. This leads to connecting with Lanie’s lover, Rev. Kenneth Little, played by Michael Beach (Chicago P.D., Aquaman, If Beale Street Could Talk, Soul Food). Rev. Little is far from being saintly and his reach is beyond the pulpit for two hours every Sunday. He has a community of women he controls under the demands of his wife who tells him not to bring his mess home. Life in the Little’s household is good until Lanie’s suicide happens and all hell breaks loose.
The police investigate to confirm that Lanie’s death was by suicide, but eyes are on Stewart, the pastor and anyone else who may be responsible.
Murray described ‘#Truth’ as a journalism movie, and he made the film as a fan of films with journalism themes, like, “All the President’s Men.” “I searched for a movie with a Black journalist in it…and all I could think of was, ‘The Pelican Brief” starring Denzel Washington,” Murray told the festival audience. “I decided I was going to make a Black journalism movie.” Murray not only succeeds in making a Black journalism movie, he succeeds in lifting the rug off topics considered ‘not a Black folk problem.’
“An unspoken thing in the Black community is suicide,” Murray said. “We have a high rate of suicide, but it’s called something else when parents have to deal with it. We don’t give ourselves enough respect to say, that we can be emotional and we need help. You know what people say after someone commits suicide? Never saw that coming.”
Another topic in highlighted in #Truth that’s considered taboo is messiness within the Black church. For as many times the media shines a spotlight on the Catholic church with pedophiles, adultery and financial scams, if any of these things happen in a Black church? It’s frowned upon if it gets out in public. Like the current real life social media posting of videos featuring a Black pastor performing a sexual act on a woman. This widely shared video has allegedly fast forwarded to a lot of social media users ‘investigating’ and revealing who the parties are, putting a spotlight on their families, the church family, etc.
Stewart is not immune to darkness. He is unemployed for a reason. He is a divorced father for a reason. He is an alcoholic for a reason. A functioning alcoholic, but an alcoholic nonetheless. Is his passion of opening other people’s closets his way of bringing closure for Lanie? Is he doing all of this for her, to right a wrong, or to cover his own demons and slip-ups?
#Truth has a stellar cast. Dorian and Simone Missick — they’re Mr. and Mrs. in real life — are great as cousins/best friends Stewart and Lanie who try to be there for each other. Shanola Hampton (“Shameless”) as First Lady Katrina Little, matches Michael Beach’s Pastor Kenneth Little in sinister pettiness. Hampton is a versatile actress. She played opposite Omari Hardwick (“Power”) in Murray’s first film, the romance drama, “Things Never Said,” released in 2013.
Terrell Tilford (“Supergirl,” “One Life to Live,” “Serenity”) as Pastor Little’s right hand man Martin Jarett, does whatever it takes to protect his boss’ reputation.
Murray wrote the #Truth screenplay in 30 days. He also directed #Truth. Most of the audience gasped at the short amount of time he took to write the screenplay. I wasn’t surprised. Murray has proven to be one of the strongest writers in the industry. He won Best Screenplay from the 2013 American Black Film Festival for ‘Things Never Said,’ an NAACP Image Award in 2016 for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television) for “Roots” Episode 3. He was also a producer for the FX series, “Sons of Anarchy(2013–2014),” and Netflix’s “Luke Cage” (2016).
#Truth was well received by the #GIBFF2019 audience. It has the right mixture of drama, some humor, some gasping moments and, some redemption. I don’t expect Charles Murray to slow down on his creativity anytime soon. Hollywood needs to take a broader notice of his talents.
And that’s nothing but the truth.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Genre: Drama.
Contains strong language.
Trigger points: Suicide, social media shaming/bullying.
#Truth is a Raising Kane Films and Ohio Street Pictures production. Executive produced by Amel Murray, Elan Murray and Ryan Hase. Produced by Jackie Stone and written and directed by Charles Murray.
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