Sweaty Betty (FILM REVIEW)
by Kam Williams
A
Blackface Variation of "Babe" with Street Cred
In 1965,
the federal government issued the historic Moynihan Report
chronicling the collapse of "The Negro Family" which it
blamed on a host of social woes afflicting inner-city
African-American communities. A half-century later, blacks and whites
still remain substantially separate and unequal.
Evidence of
the disparity abounds in Sweaty Betty, a super-realistic buddy flick
set in a Prince George's County, Maryland ghetto located in the
shadow of the nation's capital. There, we find a cornucopia of
colorful characters inhabiting a den of iniquity that it's hard to
believe exists, but obviously does.
The stars
of this must-see adventure are Rico and Scooby, a couple of
uneducated, unemployed, unmarried single-fathers. To call the pair
actors would be far too generous, since they're obviously simply
playing themselves.
That makes
it difficult to discern whether one is watching a comedy or a
documentary, although that dilemma only adds to the quirky picture's
appeal. Everybody on their block speaks such inscrutable Ebonics that
directors Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed had the good sense to use
subtitles, despite the fact that the entire cast is speaking in
English.
The
dialogue is not only grammatically-incorrect but is invariably
delivered laced with expletives and the N-word. And the conversations
are precisely what one might expect of 20-ish baby-daddies with
nothing better to do all day than hang out on the street.
One minute,
our heroes are commiserating about the burdens of fatherhood, the
next, they're shamelessly flirting with a couple of cute honeys
passing by. Meanwhile, their neighbors appear to be equally
rudderless, as they spend their time boasting, twerking, mugging for
the camera and/or engaging in meaningless chatter.
Oh, Sweaty
Betty does have a rudimentary plot, which revolves around a couple of
pets: a pig named Charlotte, and a pit bull the protagonists can't
decide what to call: Cocaine, Killer or Petey (since it looks like
the pooch on The Little Rascals).
These
wannabe entrepreneurs have been raising the hog in the 'hood with
hopes of having it become the mascot of the Washington Redskins. So,
on home gamedays, they drive the half-ton oinker to the stadium via
pickup truck to participate in all the parking lot hoopla.
Unfortunately, it eventually comes to the attention of the local
animal control officer that somebody's raising a farm animal in a
residential neighborhood.
But don't
be fooled. Sweaty Betty's storyline is inconsequential, at best. Yet,
it remains highly recommended for cinematic voyeurs who like laughing
from a safe distance at the outrageous flamboyance of a hot ghetto
mess.
A blackface
variation of Babe (1995) with street cred!
Excellent (4
stars)
Unrated
In Ebonics with subtitles
Running time: 94 minutes
Distributor: Breaking Glass
Pictures
To see a trailer for Sweaty Betty,
visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrOLvo1yegU
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