Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Director: George C. Wolfe
Stars: Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Colman Domingo
Runtime: 94 minutes

Synopsis: Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues". Based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play.

Verdict: When the world learned of Chadwick Boseman's untimely passing this late August, a feeling of shock and sadness united people of all demographics to mourn the loss of a true star. His acting career was still young, but his charisma, talent, and kindness allowed him to conquer many hearts in the few years during which he made a name for himself in Hollywood. The path he took eventually led him to become the role model he was destined to be when he snatched the role of T'Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has kept him busy for the past 4 years.

Based on August Wilson's play (who also wrote "Fences"), "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" was supposed to mark his return to the Music genre after his successful run as James Brown in "Get on Up". Set in Chicago during the late 1920s, it follows a fiery recording session where creative differences led to disputes between Ma, a Blues legend exceptionally portrayed by Viola Davis, her manager, and Levee, a horn player played by a great Boseman. Ma's diva attitude and nearly authoritarian handling of her music are at the root of these tensions, all of which were enhanced by the film's warm color palette reflecting the hot weather and claustrophobic setting that is the recording studio. While I did find some moments to be a little exaggerated, I was nevertheless thoroughly invested in what the film had to say about artists who become larger than their work.

"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is not only a satisfying conclusion to Chadwick Boseman's young but rich acting career, but will also certainly become a title often brought up during next year's awards season thanks to its script, cinematography, production design, music, and of course acting. It's available on Netflix, so give it a shot if it seems interesting to you! 

FINAL GRADE: 7/10