Not Satisfied ::: Spike Lee on Eastwood Ommitting Black Troops in his WWII films

Spike Lee is not pleased as to the lack of interest in Clint Eastwood's camp for for the lack of African American Soldiers in his WWII Iwo Jima Epics. From my opinion he does have good reason to point out the obvious lack of African American representation in the films. However he will not be heard much during the festival. Then again, he knows that, but to him if two hear, then he spoke his piece.

Lee who's upcoming film project tiled "Miracle at St. Anna," which is a story of an all black U.S. Division fighting in Italy during the war. He said that Mr. Eastwood's films were "whites Only affairs."

"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black
soldier in both of those films," Lee stated at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

"Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint
Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as
that. I have a different version," stated Lee.

As I reported yesterday, Clint Eastwood was at the Festival, promoting his upcoming missing child drama, the "Changeling," starring Angelina Jolie. As usual a reporter was redirected when an attempt was made to get answers from Mr. Eastwood. The reporter was told to only ask questions on the new film.

Well we know that Mr. Lee will not let this one go that easy, but for now we will just wait it out. Since he has to promote his own film I would take it that he will fall back a little and do just that. With " Miracle at St. Anna" due out this October it is high time he get to promoting it. The film stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, and Omar Benson Miller - in the Buffalo Soldiers division in Tuscany.

Should be a good watch.


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Festival of surprises Jolie and Eastwood's secret project

What we have here is a classic case of sneak up and bite your ass good. Film makers are biting their lips and haunting their writers after the showing of Clint Eastwood's new drama starring Angelina Jolie has been shown.

Here is how it went down:

The how you like me now gentleman slipped into Cannes, droped off a film after changing its name, just to have Oscar Buzz follow, all the while Angelina Jolie is on his arm. arriving in style and with box magnet Jolie, along with Oscar buzz talk following.

Clint pulled a switch on the title to The Exchange from née Changeling. Which is a child-disappearance Drama. And might I add, should have been made years ago. But that is no fault of Mr. Eastwood and his team, nope, not at all.

This film is a drop in the bucket full of surprises( The films subject-topic that has not been paid attention to, but is much larger in significance than you think). Clint Eastwood has made his twilight years his best years with his last string of films and this is either the candles or the icing, on the cake. Either way it is to be celebrated. Variety's Todd McCarthy feels so and he shows it in this verbal release of satisfaction

"The inter cutting of two heavyweight proceedings, a murder trial and a
landmark City Hall hearing, provide the story's dramatic crescendo,
although even greater tension stems from what comes thereafter. In the
end, Changeling joins the likes of Chinatown and L.A. Confidential as a sorrowful critique of the city's political culture.

A dozen filmmakers could have taken a dozen different approaches to the
same material — sensationalistic, melodramatic, expose-minded, a kid's
or killer's p.o.v., and so on. Perhaps the best way to describe
Eastwood's approach is that he's extremely attentive — to the central
elements of the story, to be sure (with its echoes of A Perfect World),
but also to the fluidity between the private and the public, the
arbitrariness of life and death, the distinct ways different people
view the same thing, the destructive behavior of some adults toward
children and the quality of life in California around the time he was
born."

The praise does not stop there. From what I know so far a British Journalist told Jeffery Wells "there's not a weak point in the entire film" and that Eastwood should be on the short list for the fest best Director prize.Should we say this one is in the bag, with Sean Penn of Mystic River heading the Jury.

So look for the film to drop on in stateside in November. But of course it is most likely to make its rounds in Toronto then New York, then the rest of us casual movie goers will get to witness the film. Just in time for Oscar buzz.

I can see Eastwood now, daydreaming and asking his alter ego. Do you feel lucky Punk? Do you? Yeah he is doing it. However those days are gone, all we are getting from Clint Eastwood these days is great cinema, and should we want anything less?!