(Left to right) Kerry Washington as Captain Charity Adams and Milauna Jackson as Lieutenant Campbell in “The Six Triple Eight. ” Photo: Laura Radford / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
“The Six Triple Eight,” coming to Netflix on December 20, is the latest film from writer-director Tyler Perry and tells the inspiring true story of the all-black segment of the Women’s Army Corps, which has been entrusted with an immense task. . .
With mountains of undelivered mail stuck on hangers and the two infantrymen and their families frustrated by the lack of reliable deliveries, the unit had to find a way to reestablish lines of communication.
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in “The Six Triple Eight. ” Photo: Bob Mahoney/Perry Well Films 2/Courtesy of Netflix.
Though he’s best known for his Madea works and melodramas, powerful director Tyler Perry has already delved into the afterlife with 2022’s “A Jazzman’s Blues,” though there he channels the black experience into a fictional story.
For ‘The Six Triple Eight,’ however, he’s diving right into actual history, the pressure of bringing a true –– yet criminally ignored –– story to screens weighing heavy on the filmmaker. There is a reason to feel that: the heroic work of the Six Triple Eight U.S. Army unit is worth celebrating, but Perry does sometimes fall victim to cliché and pat scenes that feel like something out of an After-School Special.
While real women faced a lot of resistance and not a little racism in their mission, Perry decided to emphasize the themes in such a repetitive and sophisticated way that it’s almost like a giant bomb dropped from a B-52 when a sniper’s bullet could better accomplish the task.
Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in “Six Triple Eight. “Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix
Perry wrote the script for his latest film based on Kevin Hymel’s article “Fighting a Two-Front War” about real-life members of the Corps. And with a plethora of curtains and so many potential stories to choose from, it’s a shame. that what ended up on the screen is a gentle collection of stories we’ve seen before.
While there is much to be said about the young woman who mourns a lost love and embarks on service, much has already been said, and better. And while the unit has encountered a lot of resistance from generals and other senior officers, the wealth of racist characters demonstrating here is starting to look like an overload. The message is engraved in us rather than conscientiously outlined.
In terms of direction, this is perhaps Perry’s most comprehensive film to date, as it begins with a stunning war scene and then focuses on the private stories of the women involved. It’s not too visually challenging, letting the characters breathe, at least the ones who deserve a story, which are only one or two.
Definitely here is Ebony Obsidian, who is our main character and the connection point of the story. But as the story progresses, it’s Kerry Washington’s Major Charity Adams who begins to dominate.
Obsidian Ebony as Lena Derriecott King
(Left to right) Gregg Sulkin as Abram David and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in “The Six Triple Eight. ” Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Lena is the young woman mentioned above whose story starts with burgeoning love, only for the romance to be squashed before it can get going when her beau dies in combat. In the early going, Obsidian has to make do with Perry’s fairly obvious lines about love and racial barriers, and some of that continues once she signs up for the WAC, where she’s soon mocked by outsiders and the press for her seeming lack of spine.
However, once the character has gone deeper and shown several times, it comes to life a little more. Obsidian is capable of bringing all its aspects to life with conviction, even if it is limited by what it has given.
Kerry Washington as Adams Major Charity
Kerry Washington in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Photo: Netflix.
Washington, who is also an executive producer on the movie, is a commanding –– pun intended –– presence in the film, playing the woman whose duty it is the to oversee the training of the Six Triple Eight unit and then their mission when they’re finally dispatched to Europe to tackle the mail issue. This is clearly a role that Washington is passionate about, and that comes through the character and off the screen.
Dean Norris as General Halt
‘Breaking Bad’ veteran is here playing less of a character and more of a group of racist stereotypes rolled into one person. He’s a swaggering good ol’ boy who tries to bully the Six Triple Eight out of their mission and puts barriers in at every turn. Norris does what he can with the role, but it never feels like an actual human.
(Left to right) Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt and Sam Waterson as President Roosevelt in “The Six Triple Eight. ” Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Sam Waterston as President Roosevelt and Susan Sarandon as Eleanor Roosevelt
Waterson has a slight scene as Roosevelt, but impresses in the role, while Sarandon, acting with all her might, leaves her mark on the compassionate and authoritative Eleanor.
Supporting Casting
Oprah Winfrey pops up almost as briefly as Waterson to play the influential activist Mary McLeod Bethune, though she’s mostly used for exposition. Around Obsidian, the likes of Sarah Jeffrey, Kylie Jefferson, Pepi Sonuga and particularly Shanice Shantay make for a fun and supportive friend group.
(L to R) Milauna Jackson as Lt. Campbell, Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams and Ebony Obsidian as Lena Derriecott King in ‘The Six Triple Eight’. Cr. Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix.
Seeking to stand out, Perry finds his ambition exceeds his reach, but it’s a pretty decent edition of the story. However, an ancient occasion as vital as this (especially one that was so little reported) may have benefited from another set of eyes and hands on the script.
“The Six Triple Eight” receives 6 out of 10 stars.
The Six Triple Eight “Ordered to Give Hope. . . “77PG-132:10 p. m. December 20, 2024Timings & TicketsWatch The Six Triple Eight Online
The movie is inspired by the first and only Black Women’s Army Corps unit of color to serve overseas in World War II. Despite facing racism and sexism –– and grueling working conditions – they were committed to serving their country with honor and distinction. Given an extraordinary mission and united in their determination, these unsung heroes delivered hope and shattered barriers.
(From left to right) Milauna Jackson as Lieutenant Campbell and Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams in “The Six Triple Eight”. Photo: Bob Mahoney / Perry Well Films 2 / Courtesy of Netflix