Message from the King
Pupule rating: 3.7 (out of 4)
Netflix
The was scarcely another soul who could bring what Chadwick Boseman brought to the screen. And yet, I wonder why I didn't see more of his films. I saw "Black Panther". The "Avengers" films. Even "Marshall" and "42." "Da 5 Bloods" of this year.
But back in 2016, Boseman starred and executive produced "Message from the King," a small, intense and explosive story about a man of seemingly no means who travels from Cape Flats of South Africa's ghetto to Los Angeles. His sister has gone missing. His younger brother has already succumbed to gang life. Boseman's Jacob King is on a mission.
No spoilers here. Boseman simply carries this film the way Iron Giant protected his boy, with a purity and unleashed violence that is truly winsome. The RT rating of 45 is telling. In "42", critics averaged out at 80, not because it was a more compelling episode of storytelling, but because we know Jackie Robinson eventually had a happy ending.
In "Message," we just don't know, even though King seems almost Pantherish and borderline indestructible. It's no 45 in my book. I stopped caring about critics' ratings ages ago, when a ticket to a movie was still five bucks.
Most audiences want a lot of laughs. Even in a violent action flick, they want a bit of relief. Boseman has always been willing to go with or without that levity in any script and performance. It's something some of us relate to, and now, we have one less heroic actor to look forward to. The world is a lesser place now, and Boseman is no longer in pain. I couldn't believe he was 43. I suppose he seemed like he was 30 or maybe 35. Wise beyond his years.
In an era when society is often led by pathological liars, proud racists and greedy, easily compromised sellouts, Boseman was a throwback. He represented righteousness without bombast, empathy without pity and resilience without the weight. He was powerful in his lightness, persuasive in his silence. Four years of working his craft while suffering from colon cancer. Nobody outside his circle knew until the day he passed.
His legacy will speak loudly and clearly. The world will miss exactly what you were, Mr. Boseman. Rest in love.
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