Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: 88 [Tribeca Film Festival 2022 - Virtual]
The aspect of motivation versus free will has been a context of political and social revolution since the beginning of time. The context and the need to do it in plain view is the part that has become more clandestine. The film "88" [Viewpoints] directed by Thomas (Eromose) Ikimi takes a look at campaign financing as an interesting perspective of the diarama that is America in all its flaws and forms. Femi Jackson [Brandon Victor Dixon] is coming to terms of with his identity and what it means to be a Black American. He wants to believe in Harold Roundtree (Orlando Jones), a presidential candidate, whose campaign he is working for. Through his perceptions of numbers as campaign finance director he uncovers a sly and underhanded idea of who might be financing these moves for power and for what reason. The film is quite good at placing the questions of control, history, race, expectation and misplaced intention center stage and yet guises it in a unique thriller that doesn't overcome with dread but also doesn't let the audience off the hook.
The film brings into view the idea or question of "does it depend where the money comes from" or "is it the end result". It is a unique question the film asks. In a current society where there is a lot of finger pointing at each other in terms of what is being done wrong, the film discusses a long game that has been in play for a while. It puts a little bit of the supposed Russia hacking element in perspective as well. Slight changes in life and policy done over decades can affect the fabric of society. Jackson is one man. His supporters, his wife, his colleagues and his best friend are from all walks of life and ethnicities. Yet as the film continues, does it destroy what he believes to be the truth? Does it embolden him? Does it feed to his paranoia? Likely all three. But that is what good political thrillers do. And "88" makes you care for Jackson because he is the everyman but he also is us. B+
By Tim Wassberg
