Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer is a vibrant, messy, occasionally powerful, deeply felt project that bites off more than it can chew and doesn't really come together in the end. That much is true, yes, but it buries the lede.
The headline news is that Lee has provided former Wire MVP Clarke Peters with a fantastic showcase and he runs with it. You can't take your eyes off the guy. And when the third act dramatic whammies hit Peters lands those moments in a big way, even as the film is less assured with how to handle them.
I've added him to the BEST ACTOR Oscar race page even though the chances are slim to none that the Academy will rally behind a performance in such a small, uneven movie. But that's besides the point, which is that it's now out there and on the record: Peters is big league power hitter. Hopefully this work will catch the attention of more big name directors, if not awards voters.
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