Baadasssss! (2003)

Directed by Mario Van Peebles. Starring Mario Van Peebles, Rainn Wilson, Saul Rubinek, Khleo Thomas, Joy Bryant, Terry Crews, David Alan Grier, Paul Rodriguez, Karimah Westbrook, Nia Long, Glenn Plummer, Len Lesser, Adam West, T. K. Carter, Vincent Schiavelli, Sally Struthers, Ossie Davis. [R]

Vigorous account of how guerrilla filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles scrapped together a raw, primitive independent film (Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song) with a black hero who could dispatch vigilante justice on racist white cops and get away at the end. Story is told by Melvin’s son, Mario, who not only plays his father here, but also directs and co-writes (with Dennis Hagerty), and was a literal witness to the events being depicted, having co-starred in the blaxploitation landmark as a child—against his will, some might argue. Like its recreated namesake, there’s more ingenuity than revelation, giving in to a fearless ambition to find meaning through bedraggled (even meandering) inspiration, as if Mario was trying to analyze and exorcise a very personal piece of his life onscreen, a lack of focus and clarity that only leads to brief bouts of confusion and listlessness. Yet the nitty-gritty filmmaking details are never less than fascinating, and watching Melvin labor and hustle through blood, sweat and tears to accomplish the seemingly impossible task is sometimes downright riveting. Original title: How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass.

76/100