African American Lives 2 (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have followed the PBS 4 hour mini-series "African American Lives 2" this February, then you will want to purchase the DVD I am certain.This amazingly well documented and directed expose of 12 "black" people, including the likes of Pop Diva Icon Tina Turner,comedian Chris Rock,everybody's favorite narrator Morgan Freeman,actor Don Cheadle as well as historians,preachers and Harvard Professors,whose racial identity is disclosed to them through court documents,wills,ship manifests and the newest advances in DNA technology yielding surprises beyond belief to them as well as myself!!!
Who we are is simply not that easy to say.Where we come from is not as simple as black or white.What is being "black" anyway? What is being "white"? What do you do with information when culture tells you that you are one "race", but DNA tells you either way more or the opposite? These are the complex questions that are answered in great detail for these 12 people,identified as "black" or "African-American." (Frankly, this is so interesting that any "race" will benefit immensely from this documentary film!)
This documentary brilliantly is non-biased and quite moving.See how Don Cheadle reacts when he finds that his family was owned by Native Americans!!!! Tina Turner is one third European and NO Native American blood! Chris Rock is 1/5 "white"! There is even the authoress Briss Bryson who has always been "white" who discovers that she has more African blood than most "negroes"!!!! What do we do with such information? Does it change who we are,or does it complete who we are? Henry Gates,Harvard Professor is 50% Irish, and yet has always identified as "African." African-American Radio personality Tom Joyner is overwhelmed when he sees a painting of his 5th-great grandfather, a white Supreme Court Judge who has the exact same grey eyes.This stuff is overwhelming! Lots of myths are dispelled about certain long held beliefs about slavery.Others are confirmed.Did all blacks come from slavery? No.Did "free blacks" live in the Old South-overwhelmingly! Anyone interested in their heritage, whatever it may be, will be touched and challenged to dig into their past and ask questions about whence they came.Will what you find,though, affect where you are going?
A fascinating companion film to this would be Frontline By PBS ; Jefferson's Blood, and African American Lives.I cannot give a higher recommendation for purchase than this documentary.LOOK FOR THIS TO AIR AGAIN IN THE NEXT WEEKS ON PBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The first AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES revealed the power in discovering one's family history. Now, Henry Louis Gates Jr. will guide a new group to discover their ancestry in AFRICAN AMERICAN LIVES 2. The series will draw on DNA analysis, genealogical research and family oral tradition to trace the lineages of the participants, including Maya Angelou, Morgan Freeman, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, and Tina Turner, down through U.S. history and back to Africa.

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Sleeper Cell - American Terror - The Complete Second Season (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)After reading some initially moderate reviews of the first season of "Sleeper Cell", I tuned into Showtime with minimal expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by an efficient, nicely acted, and timely thriller. I became a big supporter of the show, and felt that it was much better than a lot of people gave it credit for--and eventually it was recognized with some accolades (an Emmy nomination for best miniseries among others).
So, I went into "Sleeper Cell - American Terror" with greater expectations. While, ultimately, I don't feel as if was as taut and exciting as the first season--it is still an intriguing and serious minded look at the world of terrorism. The show essentially revolves around Michael Ealy as Darwyn, an African-American Muslim who is also an undercover FBI agent. He thwarted an attack on Dodger Stadium in "Sleeper Cell." The show picks up with months after that incident with Darwyn looking to distance himself from field work and live quietly with his girlfriend. As a horrific fate befalls his previous handler, he is called back into action to help stop a current and impending threat. Using his previous connections, he not only joins a new cell--but eventually becomes its leader. With an inexperienced handler, he often has to go rogue in order to maintain his credibility within the cell. In concurrent storylines, we follow two other members of last season's cast--Farik, the mastermind of the Dodger stadium attack and another "soldier."
Farik, a great and believable villain, is a bit underutilized here--but Oded Fehr makes him a powerful presence. The action is filmed around the globe, and the scope of the show is ambitious and impressive. I actually liked the members of the new cell, and thought the characterizations were surprisingly detailed. Far from stereotypes, you learn about them as individuals. This definitely raises the stakes. I did, however, think the show lacked some of the propulsive narrative drive necessary to make this absolutely unmissable entertainment. The interplay between Darwyn and his new handler is pretty forced and not particularly believable. It's conflict added for the sake of conflict. But once again (as in Season one), the character that threatens to derail the show is Darwyn's girlfriend. She is incorporated into the action unnecessarily and tediously (she does work for the FBI to conveniently thwart a custody action from her son's grandparents). It's not credible, nor interesting or well played.
I do recommend "American Terror," however. I do like that the show doesn't shy away from real consequences and real tragedy. An insightful look, the show is further distinguished by an ethically questionable ending and an ambiguous final shot. I admired that the show wasn't wrapped up in nobility--for to give this a tidy ending would have been a compromise not worthy of the serious and complex topic. KGHarris, 12/06.

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In SLEEPER CELL: AMERICAN TERROR, the Muslim undercover FBI agent, Darwyn (Michael Ealy), discovers that another terrorist cell in Southern California is planning a catastrophic attack that will be more successful than the last attempt. Meanwhile, Farik escapes out of the country and directs another terrorist operation, beginning a parallel storyline between Southern California and the Middle East.

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