Sinners: the pride of the pride of Ryan Coogler (critic)

Despite the aura of Michael B. Jordan and some beautiful ideas for cinema, the historic and fantastic trip of the director of Black Panther suffers from his confused words.

Sinnersthe new film of Ryan Cooglerarrives at the cinema (this Wednesday in France and Friday in the United States) preceded by an exceptional buzz. With 100% positive opinions on Rotten Romatoes, he would be the most accomplished work of the American filmmaker to the eclectic journey marked by success (Fruitvale Station,, Black Panther 1 and 2, Creed).

Director, but also a screenwriter and producer, Coogler has invested a lot in this ultra ambitious project. And Warner Bros. Also, which offered him a beautiful envelope of $ 90 million to tell this story mixing historical film and fantastic cinema.

In SinnersCoogler finds Michael B. Jordanhis favorite actor, who embodies two twin brothers Gangsters (Smoke and Stack) back in their native Mississipi in the early 1930s, after having fought during the First World War and then made a fortune in Chicago.

As soon as they arrived, they find their cousin Sammie (Miles Caton, a young singer who took his first steps in the cinema), the women they had abandoned when leaving (Hailee Stanfield and Wunmi Mosaku) and an old alcoholic musician (Delroy Lindo). The twins unroll their plan: launch a new juke joint – A typically African-American drink flow where you dance or play money against the backdrop of Blues- the same evening.

The racist south of prohibition is perfectly reconstructed, Michael B. Jordan splashes the screen of his aura and Coogler films the cotton fields and the bodies with passion in an Imax format which puts full view. But, when after a big hour of exhibition, the film finally rocks, in the heart of the party, in a slightly cheesy dreamlike sequence, its pretty score begins to chain the false notes.

Between A night in hell And US,, Sinners wonders about the pact with the devil that his characters must conclude to rise. The twins who bought the old local sawmill with dirty money to transform it into a club. Their cousin, son of a pastor, who dreams of becoming a singer and plays secular music in a place of debauchery. But when the evil, embodied by a bunch of vampires Pécquenauds who sing folk, strikes the door, should we open it?

Far from bringing the purpose of coogusing, the fantastic dimension of Sinners Above all, brings confusion, to his scene post generic in the downright opaque sense. An ingredient probably essential to sell the film as a mainstream object, and justify its budget, but which spoils the recipe a little. A missed amalgam that underlines the rare talent of Jordan Peele, goldsmith of this mixture of genres using the supernatural like a Troyes horse to enter the spectator’s mind.

Ryan Coogler wanted to reconcile his origins as a young award -winning author in Sundance (with Fruitvale Station), with its stature of hit maker able to make his paw speak in the biggest franchises (Marvel and Rocky). An attempt at compromise which leads to a poorly mastered hybrid film, which we come out of by wondering which one he really had in the guts? The committed reconstruction or the vampiric orgy? The action falls too flat to opt for the second answer. Not to mention the little inspired climax which invokes another cult saga of Stallone (Rambo) Without much conviction.

Tracking or cruel observation on the limits of Coogler filmmaker? At only 38, he still has time to learn to dance with the devil, without being dictated by the tempo.