"Superfly" Review

CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018

Volume 164, No. 122 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 163 years

Remake of ‘SuperFly’ out-blings the original

n 1972, “Super Fly,” a low- wood learned that low-budget Scott Davis and Andrea Londo) budget crime drama star - domestically released portrayals with whom he polyamorously co - ring 35-year-old Ron O’Neal of blacks as criminals with flashy habits in his Architectural Di - as the dashing drug dealer lifestyles could offer spectacular gest-worthy home. Youngblood Priest, was con - returns on investment. Everything — the money, the sIidered a breakthrough. What began as an antiestab - sex, the respect — swims happily Like the detective story lishment novelty evolved into an REBECCA along until an envious hothead “Shaft” the year before, “Super industry standard and clichéd from the Snow Patrol challenges Fly” was set in Harlem, targeted portrayals of urban pathology L. F ORD him. When a bystander is killed by African-American audiences and grew into the dominant depiction a bullet intended for him, Priest featured a black protagonist with of African-Americans. resolves to leave the business. agency. Now, more than four decades Rebecca L. Ford is counsel at Scharf Before he checks out, he So what if the movie didn’t later, producer Joel Silver has Banks Marmor LLC, and concentrates needs to make one last score. have much of a story? It was uni - decided to dust off the O.G. icon. her practice on complex litigation, But as they say, mo’ money, mo’ versally relatable: A man wants Passing up an opportunity to compliance, board governance and problems. out of the game, but the game create a textured depiction of its specialized employment issues. She is The appeal of the original won’t let him go. hero’s life or tighten up the story, the former executive vice president for “Super Fly” character was in his So what if its characters snort - the filmmakers of the recently litigation and intellectual property at resourcefulness. He lives by his ed cocaine just to say hello, casu - released “SuperFly,” set in At - MGM. She can be reached at wits and prospers. Audiences ally as a handshake? It was the lanta, have chosen to stick with [email protected]. want him to survive. He handles ’70s. Crack was not yet a the sparse plot and double down with streetwise grace a life that scourge. on the fantasy elements — guns, Priest, 21-year-old actor Trevor is as stressful as it is glamorous. Prior to the 1972 movie, the girls and Gucci garb — most like - Jackson, is barely out of his The new “SuperFly” requires word “fly” was an adjective, ly to appeal to a generation teens. Priest makes a luxurious willful ignorance (or just igno - slang signifying something hip raised on music videos. living in uneasy parity with a rance) from its audience as it re - and cool. To be super fly was to By day, Director X (nee Julien rival crew of coke suppliers — fuses to acknowledge two be sensational. After its release, Christian Lutz of Toronto), the the Snow Patrol, a gang that pro - generations of social history that “Super Fly” became the name as director of “SuperFly,” is a video - motes its brand by wearing white have occurred in the interim be - well as the demeanor of the grapher of choice for the likes of clothes, driving white cars and tween the films. Crack? The Priest character in the popular Drake, Kanye West, Jay Z and living in a snow-white villa. prison pipeline? A War on imagination. Drugs? The opioid epidemic? Before the “blaxploitation” Never heard of it. genre even existed, “Super Fly” ... [filmmakers] have chosen to stick with the Director X isn’t trying to deliv - offered a fantasy not previously er a movie that makes a state - associated with black protago - sparse plot and double down on the fantasy ment. “SuperFly” is an nists: beautiful girls, customized elements — guns, girls and Gucci garb ... uncomplicated fantasy designed cars and stellar sartorial ensem - to seduce 20-somethings by out- bles. Not to mention the biggest blinging its predecessor. Mildly fantasy of all, an antiauthoritari - John Mayer. Not surprisingly, X’s Handsome and meticulously retro and stylistically indebted to an black male who wasn’t con - movie is visually gorgeous, and groomed, Priest travels under MTV, this remake is the cinemat - trolled by “the Man.” its soundtrack includes original the radar of the police. He has a ic equivalent of fruit-flavored This guy was fly. Super fly. 1972 Curtis Mayfield cuts as well business partner, Eddie (Jason electronic cigarettes — a socially Then came the deluge. “Super as bass-heavy Southern trap Mitchell, “Straight Outta Comp - transgressive, deceptively glam - Fly” was a success. Made for music in the score. ton”); an exacting mentor orous product targeted to young $500,000, its box office ultimate - Unlike the world-weary Ron (Michael Kenneth Williams, “The people. ly exceeded $30 million. Holly - O’Neal, the new Youngblood Wire”); and two girlfriends (Lex Who wants in on that game?