Review of Foxy Brown (1974) by Brett C — 16 Jan 2015

Review In A Nutshell:

What filmmakers would go through to capture the minds of a particular audience. Foxy Brown is a prominent entry into the exploitation films that explores African-American trends and appeals and utilise them in cinematic storytelling, either for financial profit or artistic experimentation; this type of exploitation in cinema is regarded as "Blaxploitation", I know the name sounds ridiculous. As I have said earlier, these type of films are catered to a particular audience, therefore budget would be limited as there would be higher risk for the producer if large amounts of money is spent, hence almost all aspects of production is notches lower than what is expected from the large-studio productions of that similar era.

Foxy Brown starts off with mystery and intrigue, a man (Link) walking down the street being pursued by loan-shark gangsters. Out of panic, he goes into fight or flight mode, deciding to evade them through the help of her sister (Foxy Brown) to pick him up, while he keeps the gangsters distant by being in close proximity with police officers. Eventually he succeeds in getting away, and from here on, details of his situation begin to emerge. Foxy Brown spends its first 40 minutes establishing its characters and the world they live in, and the film achieves this wonderfully, keeping me engaged with understanding the conditions of their society, how some would go far in order to maintain peace and justice within their neighbourhood. It was themes that made the film feel more intelligent than what it advertises itself out to be.

Then the plot's primary complication sets into motion, shifting its tone to a more action/revenge-orientated adventure; which rarely spends any time in building its characters. It is quite obvious that by catering to its primary target audience, a sense of good and evil is established and it does so in a shallow way; on making the Caucasians the villains and the African-Americans the heroes. I would have loved it if the film made both sides three-dimensional characters, instead of being just simply defined by the colour of their skin. I also felt the film's conclusion lacked that "wow" factor, building up into a climax that achieves neither a sense of thrill or shock.

Foxy Brown features the soul/funk music that was dominant in the airwaves of the 1970s; a genre that was built and highly praised by the African-American community. My personal opinion on the genre has always been positive, creating that auditory flavour that very few musicians could achieve. It is a genre that is defined firmly by its particular sound, something that takes influences from its ancestors but never coming off as a rip-off or uninspired. So hearing it in Foxy Brown gave the film that unique flavour, making it feel different from the blockbuster films of its time.

In regards to the acting performances, Pam Grier as Foxy Brown was lacklustre, being the worst aspect of the film's cast; coming off as not sassy enough during dominating scenes or not dramatic enough when the heart of the character wants to be exposed. The rest of the cast though were fitting in their parts, even if they weren't exactly "moving".

I know I am being highly-nitpicky with a film that sets its bar really low, but when compared to every other film in the history of cinema and how much this film has personally impressed me, it is a bit pale. I guess I had so much expectation given that I adored Tarantino's Jackie Brown, but I think it all really depends on the person handling the material.