Writer and director Boots Riley discusses his debut feature at the recent Color of Conversation film festival. Riley drew on his own experience as a telemarketer, and, like Cassius, he used his alternate voice to his advantage.
Sorry to Bother You...this movie from the incredible mind of writer and director Boots Riley is a trip. It's a revealing flick that critiques capitalism, tiptoes on the line of sanity, and then (maybe, just maybe) falls completely over the border.
Let's begin with voice. Many black folks tailor our tone and pitch for specific audiences. My dad has always had his workplace and new people voice. It's dry and more nasally than the Mississippi-born-and-bred daddy I recognize. I've been told my voice also fluctuates. I, like, have a little valley girl from the suburbs in me, and, sometimes, especially on the phone, that's advantageous.
In Sorry to Bother You, Cassius Green (played by Lakeith Stanfield) gets a job as a telemarketer, and to succeed in developing the on phone relationship "adjusts" his voice from Oakland-need-to-pay-bills-live-in-my-uncle's-garage black man to World-citizen-no-worries white man. And it works - incredibly well.
Cassius elevates himself from the general pool of marketers to the uber pool that works deals. Like major deals in foreign and economic policy. Meanwhile, his former colleagues (including Steve Yuen of The Walking Dead fame) strike to unionize and make the workplace fairer. Cassius literally crosses the picket line, and we go on a journey with Cassius to discover whether this cross is worth it. Results include the bandage on his forehead, an offer to make mega millions, and insight into what white folks do with black culture when there's just one or a couple of us in the room. Will Cassius escape or disrupt the system before it's too late?
Like I said, the movie is a trip, and while I thought I'd get it all in my one viewing, I need at least a couple of more viewings to take it all in. There's meaning in character names, environments/locations, clothing, songs, etc. There's always something coming at you, so keep your eyes open!