Movie Review

All Day and a Night tells familiar story with little unique flair

Although there are always exceptions to the rule, one’s circumstances growing up often dictate where he or she will end up in life. We are all products of the neighborhoods we grew up in, how wealthy or poor our families were, and the types of jobs our parents had, among many other factors.

The new Netflix film All Day and a Night explores the upbringing of one particular African American boy, Jahkor (Ashton Sanders), and the impact it had on him. The film starts with Jahkor murdering a drug dealer over an unknown past slight, and proceeds to go back and forth in time to show various moments in his younger years and his time in prison after being convicted for the killing.

Written and directed by Joe Robert Cole (co-writer of Black Panther), the film posits that Jahkor essentially never had a chance at escaping his current fate. His father (Jeffrey Wright) was a drug user and never missed an opportunity to teach a lesson to Jahkor through violence. His only role model was a drug dealer named Big Stunna (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), and his best friend, TQ (Isaiah John), became an underling for another dealer.

But Jahkor has a constant struggle between the angry man he has become and the type of person he wants to be. He has a baby with Shantaye (Shakira Ja’Nai Paye), and most of his moments with her show a different side than he puts on display with everyone else. He also has dreams of becoming a rapper, but he has limited resources for pursuing that goal.

It’s difficult to tell the overall point that Cole is trying to make with the film. It’s certainly not news that many African Americans are susceptible to violence and drugs because of innumerable historical factors. Cole never seems to find a way to distinguish the story from other similar ones that have come before.

Jahkor’s tale, while tragic on its own, doesn’t resonate in a way that would make it seem worth telling over that of any other similar character. Save for a few small moments, Jahkor has a one-note personality and rarely displays anything that would make him worthy of redemption.

Sanders, who impressed as Chiron in the Oscar-winning Moonlight, certainly has a presence to him, but his performance seems to be in service of very little. Wright is a great actor, but he seems miscast both in age and temperament for his role. The most magnetic persona is Abdul-Mateen II, but he has relatively few scenes in which to show his talent.

All Day and a Night takes place in a part of society that many of us will never know. While Cole does a great job of showing how dark and depressing that way of life can be, the film fails to give any true insight on why it’s that way or how it can be changed.

Ashton Sanders and Jeffrey Wright in All Day and a Night.

Ashton Sanders and Jeffrey Wright in All Day and a Night

Photo by Matt Kennedy

Ashton Sanders and Jeffrey Wright in All Day and a Night.

RIP Mark

Colorful Dallas musician and DJ Mark Ridlen passes away at 65

Mark Ridlen

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Mark Ridlen RIP

A bright and colorful light in Dallas' music scene went out: Mark Ridlen, DJ and musician, passed away on November 17, following a bout with cancer; he was 65.

From his appearance in Ron Howard’s 1978 directorial debut, Cotton Candy, to his groups Quad Pi, Lithium X-mas, and a plethora of side projects with scores of DFW musicians, to his full-time job as a professional DJ under the moniker "DJ Mr. Rid," Ridlen had been a steady staple on the local creative scene.

He surfed pretty much every musical wave: from Dallas' epochal dance music scene in the early 80s, to punk rock to his role as one of Dallas' top DJs — the guy you called when you wanted your event to be cool and fun.

Ridlen had been quietly battling kidney and lung cancer for the past three years. Over the summer, he had his second kidney removed, which meant he was on dialysis treatment a couple times a week.

He remained upbeat, but according to friends of the family, two more tumors were recently found in his brain. His family and friends decided to forego further treatment and were by his side when he died.

He remained in demand until his passing. In May, he DJed a party at the Kessler Theater, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Starck Club, the legendary '80s dance music club designed by Philippe Starck, which had a huge influence on Dallas, and which Ridlen was part of.

He was invited to DJ at the Starck Club when it opened in 1984 and remained in that role until the club closed in 1989.

Reid mark ridlen Mark Ridlen (right) with close friend Reid RobiinsonFacebook

From there, he migrated to Expo Park, the underground neighborhood across from Fair Park where art and music ruled. His stints at XPO Lounge, Double Wide, and other neighborhood venues made him a staple in the community.

At the same time, he was a member of Lithium Xmas, a psychedelic art-rock band which he formed with acclaimed musicians Chris Merlick and Greg Synodis.

He was also a pop culture savant with a comprehensive knowledge of music, who balanced a low-key charm with a vibrant sense of style, whether it was a vivid pop-art tunic or a flashy sequinned jacket, he did it all with originality and panache.

In late August, a large circle of musicians and friends rallied to participate in a benefit for Ridlen, to help pay for his medical costs — a sweet indication of the high regard in which he was held.

“I do want people to know that I am not being slowed down by cancer,” Ridlen said at the time. “I'm ready to continue working. I have more-or-less a clean bill of health for the moment, and hopefully that doesn't change.”

Survivors include his mother Nancy and his brother David. A memorial service is in the works with details still to be announced.

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