Small Axe Anthology (Steve McQueen): Alex Wheatle

[Ezee E]

WIKI

[Ezee E]

Alex Wheatle, along with Education, have been the two parts of the Small Axe anthology that have been overlooked compared to the other three.

This is unfortunate as Alex Wheatle probably has the biggest focus on an individual. I'd venture to say that Red, White and Blue's focus is more on the police system rather than the protagonist.

Alex Wheatle does its best to attempt a full-life story in just over one hour. While successful it setting up the character, there's not exactly anything that's going to stick it out from the others.

[Peng]

This is the first one that seems like an anthology entry, having the feeling of a too shortened standard biopic while feeling like a thematic bridge between "episodes", going from flipping the third one's arc (RWB's experience in a first feeling of futility when attempting institutional change, to AW's ideology growth and first stirring of activist consciousness) to signposting the fourth (the stress on "education"). Weakest but still worthwhile. 6.5/10

[Stay Puft]

...and this is a nay. Agreed with Peng, this is the first that just feels like a conventional anthology installment, with all of its obvious signposting, but more than that, I found this specifically disappointing because it's such an utterly shopworn biopic. Framing device + flashback structure, amazing dialogue like "tell me your story" and "start at the beginning," heavy bouts of exposition, random emotional beats that feel like the product of throwing darts at a formula dartboard, and builds to a simplistic, pat dramatic conclusion with the typical "where they are now" title cards before the credits roll. It falls into every single trap that Red, White and Blue managed to sidestep, and more. This one just didn't land for me at all, I'm afraid.