Review of Malcolm X (1992) by Zachary N — 22 Nov 2011
It's not light viewing by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an extremely well-made and (for the most part) impressively neutral take on a fascinating and often confusing man. I haven't seen the movie this lost to, but Pacino must have been dang good to have beaten Denzel Washington for Best Actor. Washington, who is already one of my favorite actors and screen presences, delivers a captivating performance that manages to hold my interest for almost three and a half hours. To put that in perspective, the first Lord of the Rings movie, which is twenty minutes shorter, is a film that I can't make it all the way through, and it has a large ensemble of talented actors who perform perfectly well. The supporting performances are also quite good, especially Angela Bassett, who gives a criminally underrated and downright heartbreaking performance as Malcom X's long-suffering wife.
The film is not without it's flaws, and the last 20 minutes have a moment or two that have not aged as well as the rest of the piece, but it is a very impressive work overall and highly recommended viewing, particularly for those who have an interest in this era of history.
This review of Malcolm X (1992) was written by Zachary N on 22 Nov 2011.
Malcolm X has generally received very positive reviews.
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