KEANU
US, 2016, 100 minutes, Colour.
Jordan Peele, Keegan- Michael Key, Tiffany Haddish, Method Man, Darrell Britt- Gibson, Jason Mitchell, Luis Guzman, Will Forte, Neil Long, Rob Huebel.
Directed by Peter Atencio.
This is a film for the African- American audience – but it will amuse most Americans and entertain worldwide audiences who pick up on it since of humour.
The film was written by Jordan Peele, directed by Peter Atencio who directed the television comedy series featuring Jordan Peele and Michael Keegan-Key?.
The two are quite opposite, Jordan Peele is a somewhat roly-poly sensitive type, lamenting that his girlfriend left him, while Keegan- Michael Key is the straight up-and-down character, happily married. The two portrait cousins.
However, this is a cat film – with an attractive cat going into the apartment of Jordan Peele and his name in the cat Keanu (for Matrix reasons). All goes well except that the cat belongs to some gangsters who are eager to recover it. This leads to all kinds of shenanigans, especially with the pair getting into the presence of the drug dealers and pretending themselves to be expert dealers. So, all kinds of physical comedy, pratfalls, misunderstandings, dangers and threats – and some repartee between the two.
Definitely for fans of the duo but also for fans of cat films.
1. The personalities of Jordan Peele and Michael Keegan Key? The television programs? Their fans? Moving into movies?
2. An LA story, African- American, limited presence of white characters? Impact for African- American audiences? American audiences? Beyond America?
3. The humour, verbal, situations, pratfalls, mimicking voices and behaviour?
4. The musical score, African- American style? The tribute/satire to George Michael and Wham? The song, the video clip? Clarence teaching the young men to sing Wham songs?
5. The prevalence of movie references?
6. Keanu, Keanu Reeves, references to the Matrix?
7. The drug world, the factory, the Allentown Duo (and Peel and Key impersonating the drug lords), the attack, the shooting and body count, the acrobatics, the man who tried to steal money, his death? The Allentown duo and their reputation?
8. The presence of the cat, wandering through all the shooting? At the door, in the street, going to Ralph’s house? Ralph, his wife leaving, his being in grief, the affection for the cat, calling it Keanu?
9. Contrast with Clarence, his style, being accused of sounding white, his language, accent, vocabulary, his love for George Michael and Wham songs? His wife, the kids going to camp, the white father, the phone call and his suspicions about his approach, Clarence’s anger?
10. The raid on the house, the disappearance of the cat, going to see the neighbour, his being a drug dealer, the rivalry, the wrong house raided? The personality of the dealer, white, with Ralph and Clarence? His later being taken and in the trunk of the car?
11. His giving the information about Cheddar, going to the club, meeting Hi C, the drugs, getting, Ralph and Clarence mimicking the druggies, the violence and the music?
12. The club, going in, the style, the encounter with Cheddar, talk about deals, his having the cat, trying to deal to get the cat, mistaken for the Allentown duo, their being
interrogated about their exploits, having to do the somersaults? The reactions, Cheddar thinking they were bargaining about the money for the drugs? Having to go out on the job?
13. Ralph and his going with Hi C, Anna Faris and the buying of the drugs, the talk about her career, the carry on, her friends, the drugs, her daring Ralph to shoot? His being upset, Hi C taking the gun, shooting everyone, the escape? Ralph saying that he was not legally responsible?
14. Clarence in the car, the young men, discussions about music, George Michael, teaching them how to sing the Wham song?
15. Cheddar, his reaction, they’re being unmasked?
16. The Allentown duo, capturing Ralph and Clarence, their wanting the cat, the getting the guns, shooting the duo?
17. Cheddar taking them to the Hispanic dealer, his henchmen, the deals and discussion, the cat belonging to the Hispanic man and his wanting it back? The confrontation between the two gangs, the shootings, the body count? The participation of the young men?
18. Cheddar, confronting Ralph and Clarence, Hi C revealed as cop, Anna Faris and the others revealed as undercover collaboration? Cheddar shot? The surrender of the young men?
19. Ralph, in love with the cop, the kiss, his being arrested, going to jail, the visits? Clarence, his anger at the white father, the sexual encounter? Visits?
20. And the reinstating of Keanu?
