Black and Blue

BLACK AND BLUE - SONY

In a world where African American citizens are murdered in cold blood in broad daylight and are targeted repeatedly by the very government agencies that are sworn to protect them, it would give the strong impression that a dramatised, flip of the coin film about black, female police officer Alicia West (Naomie Harris) — who is turned on by her overlords (Frank Grillo) in a rural, gangland territory in which the police run amuck — might not be the best idea.

Tone-deaf might be an understatement to describe Deon Taylor's Black & Blue, a film released in perhaps some of the most traumatising times for minorities during this current hectic and traumatising social climate. Perhaps on paper, to turn the tables would be an intriguing artistic viewpoint that would cause somewhat of a controversy for traction but in practice, the societal politics present are incredibly skewed and blurred for what the film is wanting to intend.

It is that very question that is never answered or if it is, not very well. Just what is the film’s politics or, more overstated, what is it trying to say? Throughout the film, it is clear that the message is that not all police officers are corrupt. Nevertheless, ninety-eight percent of such characters involved in this plot are antagonists. Back to square one, it is. Perhaps it is a discussion of gender politics? Maybe, but if it is then it’s never overly explicit that the film is running with such a theme and drastically undercuts it for faux action violence.

Maybe it is that the police force is indeed corrupt and they can turn on anyone they like when they like? An intriguing element nonetheless but one the film does not double down within any manner or prowess. The chances are that there probably is no point. There is no purpose and it never had one, to begin with. The only reasoning to craft a film full of controversy is the fact that it does not notice the controversy in the first place and is utterly blind to current events. If so, Black & Blue is even more disposable and offensive than first thought in the fact that it disrespects real victims of police violence and is profiting from such actions for inspiration.

Black and Blue is released October 25th, 2019