Review of Sublime (2007) by Nelson X — 27 Feb 2008

There are two major problems with this film. First, it tries to pander to a general audience--who are not necessarily interested in the provocations of this film to begin with--by subordinating itself to a Hollywood narrative ending.

Second, most of the provocations it generates are underdeveloped and uncontextualized. So for example, critical issues of race, class, sexuality and privilege are raised throughout the conversations in the film but are given superficial treatment even as the film attempts a (feeble) critique of the white masculine liberal subject.

This kind of impotence is endemic to the film's treatment of all of its subjects, including the "sublime." For a straight to DVD release, it didn't have to try so hard to appeal to the people who can't appreciate what this film was trying to do (in the same way that Jacob's Ladder, for instance, did).