Commentary

FILM REVIEW: An Acceptable Loss

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Controversial ex-U.S. security advisor Elizabeth “Libby” Lamm (Tika Sumpter, Southside, Ride Along, Sparkle) becomes a visiting professor on a liberal college campus. Under her guidance, and at the insistence of the aggressive VPOTUS Rachel Burke (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween) and chief of staff Adrian (Jeff Hephner, Interstellar), a bomb was dropped during a war against terror and thousands of lives were lost.

Published

7 years ago

February 3, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic

Nothing about An Acceptable Loss screams, “Pay $12 bucks for me at the theater because I’m worth it.” This isn’t an artistic breakthrough (Roma). It doesn’t expand the thriller genre (A Quiet Place). The drama on view is never deep (Leave No Trace). The ensemble performances won’t win prestigious awards (The Favourite). The screenplay by writer/director Joe Chappelle (TV’s Chicago Fire, CSI: Miami, The Wire) pulls in some topical political themes, adds touches of suspense and revenge, but the storyline never amounts to anything extraordinary—and neither does the direction.

Under the intense scrutiny of a theatrical film critique, the movie flounders. But looked at through the perspective of a smaller screen, its general intrigue will make it a better experience on-demand, streamed or on cable TV.

Jamie Lee Curtis and Jeff Hephner in An Acceptable Loss

Controversial ex-U.S. security advisor Elizabeth “Libby” Lamm (Tika Sumpter, Southside, Ride Along, Sparkle) becomes a visiting professor on a liberal college campus. Under her guidance, and at the insistence of the aggressive VPOTUS Rachel Burke (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween) and chief of staff Adrian (Jeff Hephner, Interstellar), a bomb was dropped during a war against terror and thousands of lives were lost.

Libby is shunned by faculty members, abhorred by some in her class, but still, at least on the outside she remains poised and at peace with her actions. One student, Martin (Ben Tavassoli, Overlord), stalks and spies on her. Why? Libby is off the grid, writing her explosive memoirs in longhand in a series of composition books and not using a cell phone. Who is she trying to evade? Is someone else tracking her?

Joe Chappelle models the Libby character on former Secretaries of Defense Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld, architects of the Viet Nam and Iraq wars respectively. In hindsight, the former admitted to his blunder. The latter never took responsibility for a bogus war over weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist.

Chappelle starts with an engrossing premise with far-reaching political implications. As a TV series director, his instincts are solid. As a theatrical filmmaker he’s unable to pan out his style and intuition onto a broader canvass.

The tech crew doesn’t help his cause. Production design (Daniel B. Clancy), sets (Jamers Hartnett), costumes (Susan Kaufmann) and cinematography (Petra Korner) make what’s on view look like a B-movie. Nothing visually stands out. Nothing is memorable.

Tika Sumpter in An Accessible Loss

The narrative weaves in and out, including a love affair, an allegiance between two antagonists and an assassination attempt. Those crafty devices are thwarted by a very surprisingly shallow performance by Jamie Lee Curtis, which makes all the scenes between Rachel and Libby seem hollow. Adrian’s feeble relationship with Libby would have been better left for a Cinemax late night movie; hard to believe they are really doing the do. Flubs in basic logic add more imperfections: Libby buys a safe to protect her manuscripts and puts it in her bedroom. In broad view! Anyone can see it. Wouldn’t a really smart former government official find a hiding place?

As Libby is hounded by adversaries, your interest gets piqued just enough over 102 minutes to carry you to the very clever ending. It’s also helpful that Martin’s motivation isn’t clear until far along into the film, which further sustains your curiosity.

Sumpter is quite beautiful and the camera loves her face. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t give her a wide range of deep emotions to play, so her slight paranoia and tepid defiance towards those who plot against her never takes the viewer to a place of extreme fear or anger.

Ben Tavassoli, as Martin, has the benefit of being an enigma. You stick with his stealth character until he is ready to reveal his motives. Alex Weisman as Martin’s confused and suspicious roommate is perfectly animated. Clarke Peters (The Wire, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri) is only in a few scenes as Libby’s dad, but is great.

If you see An Acceptable Loss in a movie theater, you might regret the money you spent on a ticket. Watch it on TV or a mobile device and you may stay totally absorbed.

Visit NNPA News Wire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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Oakland Post: Week of July 29 – August 4, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 29 – August 4, 2026

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4 hours ago

August 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Black History

OP-ED: ‘The Trusted Messenger’ and the Black Vote

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Now, as we approach one of the most important Midterm elections in the history of this nation, it appears that, once again, the Black Press will be expected to carry the message about voter turnout, while political and campaign dollars go to the White mainstream media.

Published

3 days ago

July 29, 2026

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It is a well-established fact that the Black Press is and always has been the “Trusted Messenger” of the Black community. With that being said, it is also very interesting that when many political organizations and donors decided to support Voter Registration and Get Out The Vote, those donors gave their dollars predominantly to Black organizations like the Urban League, the NAACP, the League of Voters, and other nonprofit groups. Those groups will prepare and send out press releases about such voter participation efforts since Black people were responsible primarily for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What is most interesting is that those press releases rarely find their way onto CNN or the major news networks. Those press releases and calls to Black voter participation are carried in the Black Press. However, the dollars that support those press releases being written, nor the ads that carry the message of those releases, reach the Black Press. Historically, the dollars behind those messages do not find their way to the very Black Press that carries those messages.

Now, as we approach one of the most important Midterm elections in the history of this nation, it appears that, once again, the Black Press will be expected to carry the message about voter turnout, while political and campaign dollars go to the White mainstream media.

Those who are spending the billions of dollars that will go to Campaign Finance appear to have forgotten that elections are won and lost on a single vote.

Now is the time to remind the candidates, the political Initiatives and Propositions that will appear on the ballots across this nation, that the Black Vote must not be taken for granted. It does not belong to any particular political party or interest group. It can not be judged by whether it exists in a Blue or Red State.

The Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and supporters of Initiatives should not assume that our votes are unimportant.

Elections are won on a single vote.

The United States Supreme Court in Reynolds vs. Sims, 1964. That case established the ‘One Person, One Vote” rule. The rule in that case made it mandatory to base legislative seats on population within districts rather than on geography, and guaranteed Equal Protection coverage under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

That principle has not been abolished, and neither should we act as if our one vote does not count. Let us not forget our own values, and we look toward the Midterm elections. The “Trusted Messenger” can make the difference.