Overblown film...but what a soundtrack!

I saw this film about four months ago, because I generally find Spike Lee's films to be interesting. Granted, I don't always like them, with some of the more obvious misfires ("Girl 6," "25th Hour") falling considerably short of his brilliance ("Do the Right Thing," "Malcolm X," "Clockers")but I know that with Spike Lee, the result will always be intriguing.

Now, "She Hate Me" doesn't fit into either category of the two listed above. The film is not a classic by any sense of the word, but it was thoroughly engaging. The main problem with this film (as is with many of Spike's misfires) is that he tries to cram about four different films into one, and yet, they don't always click. You have the corporate whistle-blowing story, the lesbian impregnanting story, the mobster story, which is brief, and the three-way love triangle between Jack, Fatima, and Alex. Any of these four (save the mobster story) would have been an interesting film on its own, but Spike decides to bite off more than he can chew. However, some of it works. Anthony Mackie, for instance, gives a stellar performance, and grounded all of the zaniness. He is truly an actor to keep an eye on, a fresh new talent. The handling of the whistleblowing scenes were believable (with the exception of Alex going into labor during the FCC meeting; though, if you think about it, Jack did impregnate about 19 women all around the same period of time, give or take a week or two, so the odds are pretty good). And I especially enjoyed the little subplot about Frank Wills, the Watergate employee who stumbled upon the break-in, then subsequently had his life and career ruined.

The main problem with the film, and this has always been one of Spike's setbacks (along with Oliver Stone), is the lack of subtlety. Jack's name, John Henry, is obviously a reference to the strong black workhorse, who's primary task is to slave away and pass along his big buck seed. Then, the GW Bush references...well, those were pretty spelled out, so no reason to go there. Great storytellers reveal their symbolism and subtexts with a graceful humbleness, like Sayles or Hitchcock. Filmmakers like Spike and Stone give you a nice, cold hard slap across the face to make you realize their point. There's never really any hidden message in Spike's films; what you see is what you get. And that's the one thing about him that has always frustrated me. The main reason is because I know he's better that that, I know he's a terrifically talented filmmaker who doesn't have to translate his message with the delicacy of a sledgehammer. And "She Hate Me" is no different.

Overall, an enjoyable if not classic film. However, the main kudos to this film goes to Terrance Blanchard, who has created, I believe, the best modern jazz score of all time! In fact, I'm listening to the soundtrack right now. It's got that breezy jazz flavor usually found in New Orleans or Kansas City, and it's definitely one soundtrack to go out and buy, regardless of how you feel about the film.