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Bojangles

2001, Movie, NR, 101 mins

Bojangles: Review

BOJANGLES
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Based on the life of pioneering black entertainer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878-1949), this lavish but disappointing made-for-cable homage from Showtime portrays the hoofer’s rise to fame and fortune, followed by his penniless death. It begins with Robinson (Gregory Hines) challenging vaudeville’s pervasive racism and his charming courtship of sassy Fannie Mae (Kimberly Elise), an ambitious co-ed. Hines and Elise’s chemistry and solid performances are chief among the movie’s redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, cliched direction and scripting, including dialogue delivered directly into the camera, compromise any true articulation of Robinson’s complex professional and personal lives. Director Joseph Sargent is torn between presenting Robinson’s unflattering flaws and sugarcoating the gritty underbelly of his life and times. Robinson’s manager and friend Marty (Peter Riegert) strings him along with promises while being duped himself by studio executives. One key scene depicts Robinson’s experiences as a racial icon when he and other top "colored" performers of the day are chastised by the nascent National Negro Congress for willfully perpetuating racial stereotypes. As vaudeville dies, Robinson leapfrogs to the sliver screen on Shirley Temple’s petticoats, but their unique working relationship — some of his earliest recorded work — spans only two brief scenes. His collaborations with other directors and pioneering entertainers are similarly abbreviated. When Hines dances recreations of the entertainer’s legendary routines, the exhumed choreography and uninspired camerawork flatten Robinson's virtuosity. The joy of tapping lies in the casual intimacy between dancer and audience; this traditional call-and-response is what drives good musicals and finally arrives during a cameo by neo-tap pioneer Savion Glover. The ensuing "duel" between Hines and Glover is an absolute jewel, impervious to the camerawork, but it’s too little, too late. Watch this film if you’re a true Hines fan. Rent one of Robinson’s features if you really want to see Mr. Bojangles come alive. leave a comment --Troy Lambert
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