The Best of Enemies Movie Review

The following is a movie review “The Best of Enemies” by Marc Primo.

Release date: April 5, 2019 (United States)

Director: Robin Bissell

Language: English

Production companies: Astute Films, Rambler Entertainment

Producers: Rick Jackson, Jeremiah Samuels

After the box office triumphs of films like BlacKkKlansman and Green Book, comes another fact-based race drama in Robin Bissell’s The Best of Enemies.

Anchored on the stellar performances of Academy Award winners Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell as two clashing members of the community at the height of racial tension in Durham, North Carolina, during the ‘70s, the film succeeds in telling a fresh story despite dwelling too much on racial pride and pigeonholed characters.

The film is loosely based on the events in Durham when learning institutions were about to integrate after a school for black children burns down due to an electrical fire. Henson plays Ann Atwater, a strong-willed civil rights activist, while Rockwell portrays C.P. Ellis, an unrefined gas station owner and former Ku Klux Clan leader—a role somehow reminiscent to his Dixon in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The two begin to co-chair a community summit in Durham that leads to an unlikely relationship despite having their differences caused by years of squabbling.

As Bissell’s writing and directorial debut, The Best of Enemies works with how he steers subtle moments into tense exchanges. The presence of Klansmen in the city council as Ann speaks, and the way Klan members threatens white folks who are about to vote for integration, effectively captures the racial tension of the decade. By remaining faithful to the ‘70s, the film’s technical aspects such as cinematography, costumes, and production design help transport audiences to the period.

What’s obvious though is that Bissell’s script gives more focus to Klansmen’s challenges instead of granting more gravity to the plight of the black children who lost their school. Ellis’s range of emotions was also presented throughout the film, while we don’t see as much dimension in Henson’s character. Either we see her committing acts of goodwill or furious over an issue.

Audiences may invest more thought on Rockwell’s character than Henson’s because that’s where the transformation happens. Though way too predictable, Rockwell’s performance makes it easier for audiences to absorb his excessively dramatic moments especially during the finale, (a scene which actually happened in real life). Rockwell’s surprising move in accepting a similar role from one he did two years ago pays off in how Ellis was able to stress that racism is a product of fear and ignorance.

Henson’s performance showcasing the usual generosity and strength of a woman made wise by time’s challenges somehow balances that of Rockwell’s. The problem is that we’ve seen that particular character way too many times before, yet we never really get the true essence of Ann.

Overall, the film is entertaining and engrossing. Atwater and Ellis eventually became lifelong friends for more than 30 years in real life, and that fact alone is truly inspiring. Kudos to Henson and Rockwell for giving that friendship justice in reel life.

But The Best of Enemies is definitely no Green Book or BlacKkKlansman and it might just be better off being toned down as it is. This white-saviour drama may not be for those expecting a brutal and racially-charged conflict as the film’s premise. It’s a feel good movie about how a white supremacist transforms into a liberal sweetheart with the help of an angry black woman. Not as profound as we’d expect, but enough to put a lump in our throats.

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