And the winner is... On Sunday, March 10, the Oscars will be awarded. American Fiction is a big contender with five nominations, including for the Oscar for Best Film. The film will not be officially released in the Netherlands, but can be seen a few times at Rialto.
African-American writer Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison's work is appreciated but not selling very well. To make ends meet, he teaches at a university, where his students annoy him a lot. But even worse: his publisher doesn't think too much of his new book because it is not 'black' enough. The situation becomes dire when his mother suddenly falls ill and needs expensive treatment, for which he does not have the money. Overnight, he comes up with an ingenious solution: he invents a pseudonym and starts working on a new book in which he leaves no black cliché untapped. His agent is enthusiastic and offers the novel for sale to a major publisher, who takes the bait and offers a huge advance. Hollywood also shows interest. Is this what Ellison wanted?
Razor-sharp dialogue, surprising twists and an original narrative form set the tone in this masterful satire by Cord Jefferson, which has not been nominated for five Oscars for nothing.
American Fiction can be seen on:
March 10 & 13 | Rialto De Pijp
9 & 12 March | Rialto VU
After these dates, the film will not be shown in the theater. In addition, the film can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.