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Movies / Upcoming / Malcolm X
Malcolm X

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Malcolm X (1992)

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Reviews Counted:44

Fresh:41

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.5/10

Runtime: 3 hrs 21 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: Spike Lee brings the life of African-American leader Malcolm X (an intense Denzel Washington in an Oscar-nominated performance) to the big screen in this sprawling, epic biographical drama. Born... Spike Lee brings the life of African-American leader Malcolm X (an intense Denzel Washington in an Oscar-nominated performance) to the big screen in this sprawling, epic biographical drama. Born Malcolm Little, son of a Nebraska preacher, on May 19, 1925, he became one of the most militant leaders and charismatic spokesmen of the black liberation movement before his assassination at the Audubon Ballroom in New York City on February 21, 1965. The film sweeps through his early life as a small-time hustler and thief with his friend Shorty (Lee), his conversion to Islam in jail, and his subsequent life as a controversial spiritual leader and husband of Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett). Malcolm's tragic assassination is presented as a conspiracy of Nation of Islam leaders; the film shows how his philosophy has been realized in the lives of others who have been moved by his words. Filmed with great visual flair by Lee, the film is a work of entertainment as much as it is a historical artifact. Washington captures the spiritual conversion of the hero with a sincerity that is entirely as believable and ultimately moving as it was in the book that inspired the film, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X. [More]

Starring: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Al Freeman, Delroy Lindo

Starring: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Al Freeman, Delroy Lindo, Albert Hall, Theresa Randle, Kate Vernon, Angela Bassett, Brendan Kelly, David Patrick Kelly

Director: Spike Lee

Director: Spike Lee

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Malcolm X

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
10/18/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek

Lee sketches Malcolm's life colorfully, if by the numbers. But he falls victim to the danger of movie biography: he elevates Malcolm's importance until the vital historical context is obscured.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment 1 Comment
09/23/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine

Visually and dramatically, Lee pulls out all the stops, but it's Washington's performance that really energizes the film, and he's an exhilarating presence throughout.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/23/08
Jon Fortgang
Jon Fortgang
Channel 4 Film

Lamoclm X may seem conventional by Spike Lee's standards, but as a biopic of a controversial historical figure, it's superior to the nobility of spirit of a movie like Gandhi, for example, and Attenborough's high-mindedness.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
12/25/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
12/08/06
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/28/06
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

It plays surprisingly safe as a solidly crafted trawl through the didactic/hagiographic conventions of the mainstream biopic.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
06/03/05
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

a thoughtful and insightful rendering that promises to educate generations about the real Malcolm X

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
03/05/05
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

In the leading man category, Denzel Washington in Malcolm X managed to deliver the best performance of the decade.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
02/24/05
Matt Brunson
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

Malcolm X owes its success to a combination of things, not the least of which is Washington's performance.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
02/14/05
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
02/12/05
Hollywood Reporter

Finds Lee’s tendencies towards gadflyish social outrage folded into the fabric of the typically reactionary biopic genre.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
02/08/05
Eric Henderson
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

Controversial, compelling story...Spike Lee in good form.

comment Comment
01/02/05
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

Denzel brings the legend to life.

comment Comment
01/01/05
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

richly layered

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/22/04
Eric Meyerson
Eric Meyerson
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/04/04
Sarah Chauncey
Sarah Chauncey
Reel.com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/21/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Not a mere movie but a cinematic event.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/04
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Malcolm X

April 05, 2005: Spike & Denzel to Team Up for a Fourth Flick
Blackfilm.com snagged an interesting quote from controversial filmmaker Spike Lee. The director was attending an after-party for Denzel Washington's Broadway opening of... More...

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