Entertainment
Film Review: ‘The Gunman’
By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic
Sean Penn takes a page out of the Liam Neeson book of machismo in this sterile international thriller about a Special Forces soldier-turned-assassin who commits a crime he can’t live with. There’s one key difference between the two actors’ approach to action films: Neeson’s have humane qualities. Penn, as a deadeye killer named Jim Terrier, is not all that lovable. Go figure.
Somewhere in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, under the guise of an innocent contractor, Terrier is actually in cahoots with some devious people who are there to exploit the land for precious stones. When a government official, the Minister of Mining, gets in the way, he is done in. Terrier goes on the lam, leaving behind his foreign aid worker girlfriend Annie (Jasmine Trinca) and a sneaky friend named Felix (Javier Bardem).
Eight years later, Terrier has changed his ways and is doing humanitarian work in Africa when thugs come hunting for him. That event drags him back to his old life, as he heads to London, Barcelona and Gibraltar to dig up old chums and find out who is trying to kill him. By the way, Felix has married Annie, and any references to the fox guarding the chicken coop are warranted.
Pierre Morel, the director of the original Neeson-starring Taken film, seems the perfect mentor for Penn, as the way-too-sober actor attempts to morph into an ultra tough guy. It takes a while for Penn’s interpretation of Terrier to gel, and when it does we find him cold, detached, reeling from head trauma like a retired football player and not sympathetic. He shoots to kill, is an expert martial arts guy and his boxing skills are on point. Yet, his antics never excite you. Yes, Penn is an Oscar-caliber actor, but this is not his best performance. However, it must be duly noted, that at age 54 he is in the best shape of his life. Six-pack abs, cut shoulders, biceps the size of footballs and he is lean. Either he buffed up for the role, or this is the way he keeps a girlfriend like Charlize Theron.
The script, credited to Don MacPherson, Pete Travis and Penn, is based on a 1981 novel by Jean-Patrick Manchette. It’s a serviceable story with the appropriate amount of bad guys, whodunits, plot twists, bombs bursting, guns flaring, etc. None of the suspense, thrills or action matches the sheer magic of the Jason Bourne movies, or the emotionally grounded Taken franchise. There’s enough going on to keep the movie afloat for 115 minutes. You won’t be bored. And when things do slow down a bit, Morel and cinematographer Flavio Martínez Labiano (director of photography: second unit Exodus: Gods and Kings) deliver some evocative shots of the dusty Congo, Spanish farmland or an artsy bullfight.
The Annie character is a weak, sexy, passive woman and Italian actress Jasmine Trinca (Saint Laurent) fails to lift the character off the page. This is a part that should have gone to Marion Coltillard; she would have known how to portray the angst of a woman left behind. Javier Bardem is tepid and crazed as Felix, but not impressive. British actor Ray Winstone as one of Terrier’s confidants is fine. Idris Elba, in a brief appearance as an Interpol agent, shows more depth and command of the screen than all the other actors combined. In one scene he introduces himself to Terrier on a park bench. It’s a short scene and the best acting in the entire movie.
The Gunman doesn’t shoot blanks, but it is never fully loaded.
Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.
Community
Rajah Caruth: Young Trailblazer of NASCAR
Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.
By Tamara Shiloh
Imagine you’re only 22 years old and already making a name for yourself in NASCAR, one of the most thrilling sports in the US. That is the life of Rajah Kirby Caruth, an American professional stock car racing driver.
Born June 11, 2002, in Washington, DC, he was drawn to the sport as a child after seeing the Disney Pixar film “Cars.”
Caruth dreamed of tooling around the track like the main character in “Cars,” Lightning McQueen. His enthusiasm grew when his parents surprised him with a trip to the NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway when he was 12.
In 2018, while keeping busy with school, sports and a summer job, Caruth and his family held fundraisers so that he could buy an iRacing simulator. Then, at age 16, he traded a real driver’s license to race virtually in the eNASCAR Ignite Series, which led to him being recruited by the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program.
His first big opportunity came in 2019 when he competed in a “Legends” car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Bojangles’ Southern Shootout and recorded two top-third in the semi-pro points.
People began to recognize Caruth’s talents. In 2020, he stepped up to the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series and became the first African American to win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in a late model race. The next year, he won at Tri-County Motor Speedway and picked up his fourth overall late model victory.
Then, he became the first person of color to win at the South Carolina track.
In 2021, Caruth announced he would compete full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East for Rev Racing, where he finished third in the standings, including a series of top-five finishes. He made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut on a bigger stage as well.
Then, in 2022, thing really took off. A new chapter found Caruth at NASCAR’s unofficial Triple A league with GMS Racing, where he drives full-time for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, with a sponsorship from The Wendell Scott Foundation. After a few setbacks, he broke into the top 10 several times, finishing at a career-high 6th at Darlington Raceway.
Fast-forward to 2024, and Caruth’s took the third major step in his career. He is now driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Spire Motorsports and has been making the news for putting on stellar performances. Oh, and he won at Las Vegas: his first career victory.
From an impressionable young racing fan to a professional NASCAR driver, Caruth is charting a new path, creating history, and inspiring people to always remember that if you have the talent, the drive, and most of all, the heart, anything can be achieved.
Bay Area
Mayor Breed Proposes Waiving City Fees for Night Markets, Block Parties, Farmers’ Markets, Other Outdoor Community Events
Mayor London N. Breed introduced legislation on April 26 to encourage and expand outdoor community events. The first will waive City fees for certain events, making them less costly to produce. The second will simplify the health permitting for special event food vendors through the creation of an annual permit. Both pieces of legislation are part of the Mayor’s broader initiative to bring vibrancy and entertainment to San Francisco’s public right of ways and spaces.
Mayor’s Press Office
Mayor London N. Breed introduced legislation on April 26 to encourage and expand outdoor community events.
The first will waive City fees for certain events, making them less costly to produce. The second will simplify the health permitting for special event food vendors through the creation of an annual permit. Both pieces of legislation are part of the Mayor’s broader initiative to bring vibrancy and entertainment to San Francisco’s public right of ways and spaces.
Outdoor community events are integral to San Francisco’s vibrant culture and sense of community. These events include night markets, neighborhood block parties and farmers markets, and bolster the City’s economy by supporting local businesses and attracting tourists eager to experience San Francisco’s unique charm and food scene.
They offer residents, workers and visitors, opportunities to engage with local artists, musicians, and food vendors while enjoying the San Francisco’s stunning outdoor spaces and commercial corridors.
The legislation will allow for more and new community gatherings and for local food vendors to benefit from the City’s revitalization.
“San Francisco is alive when our streets are filled with festivals, markets, and community events,” said Breed. “As a city we can cut fees and streamline rules so our communities can bring joy and excitement into our streets and help revitalize San Francisco.”
Fee Waiver Legislation
The events that can take advantage of the new fee waivers are those that are free and open to the public, occupy three or fewer city blocks, take place between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and have the appropriate permitting from the ISCOTT and the Entertainment Commission.
The applicant must be a San Francisco based non-profit, small business, Community Benefit District, Business Improvement District, or a neighborhood or merchant association. Fees eligible for waiver include any application, permit, and inspection/staffing fees from San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Department of Public Health, Fire Department, Entertainment Commission, and Police Department.
Currently, it can cost roughly anywhere between $500-$10,000 to obtain permits for organized events or fairs, depending on its size and scope. Organizations and businesses are limited to a maximum of 12 events in one calendar year for which they can receive these fee waivers.
Food Vendor Streamlining Legislation
The second piece of legislation introduced will help special event food vendors easily participate in multiple events throughout the year with a new, cost-effective annual food permit. Food vendors who participate in multiple events at multiple locations throughout the year will no longer need to obtain a separate permit for each event. Instead, special event food vendors will be able to apply and pay for a single annual permit all at once.
“Many successful food businesses either begin as pop-up vendors or participate in special events to grow their business,” says Katy Tang, Director of the Office of Small Business. “Giving them the option for an annual special event food permit saves them time and money.”
Currently, food vendors are required to get a Temporary Food Facility (TFF) permit from the Department of Public Health (DPH) in order to participate in a special event, among permits from other departments.
Currently, each special event requires a new permit from DPH ranging from $124-$244, depending on the type of food being prepared and sold. Last year, DPH issued over 1,500 individual TFF permits. With the new annual permit, food vendors selling at more than four to six events each year will benefit from hundreds of dollars in savings and time saved from fewer bureaucratic processes.
“This legislation is a step in the right direction to make it easier for food vendors like me to participate in citywide events,” said Dontaye Ball, owner of Gumbo Social. “It saves on time, money and makes it more effective. It also creates a level of equity.”
Community
Salesian Coach Knew Angel Jackson Could Play in WNBA
Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson. “If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said. That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.
The Richmond Standard
Back in 2019, Salesian Girls Basketball Head Coach Stephen Pezzola made a bold prediction about one of his players, Angel Jackson.
“If she keeps putting in the work like she did for us, she could be in the WNBA,” the coach said.
That turned out to be very true. Last month, the Las Vegas Aces selected Jackson with the 36th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She is the second player from an Historically Black College or University, or HCBU, to be selected in the draft in 20 years.
Jackson’s success came as little surprise to Pezzola, who last year led the Pride to their 8th North Coast Section championship since he took over the program in 2008-2009. In 2019, Pezzola commended Jackson as “a very coachable kid” from the time she arrived at Salesian.
Tomekia Reed, her coach at Jackson State, shared similar sentiments, noting Jackson worked “very hard” to reach this moment.
“She came into our program doing great things and never looked back,” Reed told the Clarion Ledger. “She has trusted our leadership as we were able to develop her into an amazing player. I have watched her improve tremendously over the years.”
The 6’-6” Jackson played three seasons at the University of Southern California before transferring to Jackson State. She was ranked 10th in the NCAA in blocked shots and averaged 10 points per game in her final college season.
She finished her collegiate career with 1,047 points and was twice named Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
As the 36th pick, Jackson was the final pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In a television interview, Jackson said she didn’t expect to be picked, and called the moment “surreal.”
“It made me feel so appreciative that HBCU is getting back on the map again,” she said.
All she could do in that moment was cry.
“I called my mom immediately, and she started crying,” Jackson said. “It was the best moment you can feel as a young lady.”
There’s no stopping Jackson now. “The sky is the limit,” she said.
Her high school coach agrees.
“I knew that Angel could do it,” Coach Pezzola told the Richmond Standard this week. “We are so proud of Angel and what she has accomplished. It was an honor and joy to coach Angel at Salesian.”
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