Blindspotting

1. Those hoping to see an exciting but totally realistic film WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! 2. Those hoping to see a serious film dealing with a disturbing problem in today's America WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! 3. Those hoping to see incredible acting and incredible film-making by Hollywood new-comers WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! 4. Those hoping to see a film that (a) sparks much thought and discussion afterwards AND (b) affects one deeply WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Hopefully this film will be remembered when The Academy prepares its list of 2018 Oscar nominees.

"Blindspotting" follows the story of an ex-convict living out his last month of probation. And with his childhood friend regularly getting into trouble, staying clean proves difficult. But after witnessing something terrible, he carries on, walking the streets of Oakland, playing the same scene in his mind over, and over again. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal create the perfect friendship in this film, showing their support for one another, even through the hard times. This movie showcases amazing cinematography, dialogue, and humour; deals with the topic of racial tension and shows how each character bears that in their own way

Blindspotting is a film about Collin (Daveed Diggs) as he spends his last 3 days of probation trying to stay out of trouble. Once completed, he can move out of the halfway house he's living in and move on with his life. He works at a moving company with his best friend Miles (Rafael Casal).

The film is fantastic. The direction, writing (written by both Diggs and Casal), and acting are all incredible. Themes of loyalty, race, class, perception, gentrification, and violence are all intertwined without feeling forced, and there's amazing beauty to it all. At times its funny, at times its hard to watch, but its always gripping.

Just as real world issues have always inspired art, this film is very topical. Many of the current issues America is facing are addressed, and its powerful.

Keep an eye on Diggs and Casal. I wouldn't be surprised if they get an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay. And even if not, they did an absolutely brilliant job writing this film, and I hope for more from them like this.

Go watch this film. You won't regret it.

While in the theaters for another movie I saw a trailer for Blindspotting and thought, "This looks OK. Nothing special just OK." Then sometime later I saw a second trailer and thought, "Hmmm, this looks like something I may want to watch." I'm so glad I watched it.

The movie is incredible. Now, a little disclaimer: I definitely gave it a star or two more for being Oakland based and Oakland themed. And it wasn't simply that Oakland, California was the backdrop, no! It was thoroughly Oakland from the soundtrack, to the BART train, to the big wheel bikes, the big rim scrapers, the neighborhoods, and of course the A's, the Warriors, and the Raiders. Blindspotting definitely appeals to the Bay Area niche but it also has a larger universal appeal for anyone living in an urban area.

This movie was so well written, directed, and acted--they hit the trifecta. The center focus was the two main characters, Collin (Daveed Diggs), who is an African-American male on probation and Miles (Rafael Casal), who is a white male that is Collin's best friend and a bit of a loose canon. The dynamics between them was so fascinating and illustrated so well: a black man trying to be straight and having to be extra careful and a white man who is almost completely reckless yet not having the same fears.

But the movie tackled more than that. It covered gentrification, police brutality, living as a black felon and living as a white male who's just a product of his environment. It deftly handled all of these sensitive and delicate topics without offending the sensibilities or coming off trite. There was some powerful imagery, some powerful situations and even more powerful dialogue. The script was clever, intelligent and so spot on. Blindspotting is Oakland's Do the Right Thing, or Boyz n the Hood, or even more appropriate--Good Will Hunting.

This has been the best movie I've seen this year and that's saying a lot. I hope the writers, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal, get their due recognition as well as the director Carlos Lopez Estrada. This movie could not have been easy to pull off and I think they all did a magnificent job.

Blindspotting is 2018's refresher of comedy and drama. It is a story of identity and friendship from the perspective of an ex-convict trying to make it out of a halfway house in the city of Oakland. Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal bring a great performance to screen through beats of intense action and lyrical commentary on issues faced in real life.