Greetings again from the darkness. Organizing an event is often tedious and frustrating and stressful. Rarely is it entertaining. Such is the challenge faced by director George C Wolfe (MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM, 2020) and co-writers Justin Breece and Dustin Lance Black (Oscar winner for MILK, 2007). Take that and add a central character that most have never heard of, and the challenge seems questionable, if not undesirable. What happens if that main character has more charisma than the beloved Reverand Martin Luther King? Well, that's something we can work with.

Colman Domingo (IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK) stars as Bayard Rustin, the gay, black, outspoken civil rights activist and organizer ... and one-time communist ... who coordinated efforts for the 1963 March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs. If that doesn't sound familiar, it's the official name of the event where MLK gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. That day is remembered for King's speech, but the event never would have occurred without the herculean efforts behind the scenes by Mr. Rustin and his team. Since it wasn't easy, there is a story worth telling.

Director Wolfe is a Tony Award winner and his stage roots are on full display. Many scenes play like live theater, and the performances are elevated to the point of over-dramatizing. There is nothing subtle about Bayard Rustin and nothing subtle about the film, with the exception of Ami Ameen as MLK. By watching this, we wonder how King ever became the leader of a movement - and this after an early scene where Rustin urges him to "own your power". It's a power we don't see here, yet understand it existed in real life. The film opens by reminding that it was 1954 when the Supreme Court ruled segregation was illegal.

Most of what we see occurs in 1963, a couple of years after King and Rustin had a falling out. When the friendship and partnership are re-established for the purposes of the march, it brings together the previously disparate organizations (and their egos) that had been striving independently for power. One in particular was the NAACP, with its director, Roy Wilkins, played here by Chris Rock. The behind-the-scenes bickering and posturing is one of the film's strengths. Other players of interest here include A Philip Randolph (Glynn Turman), Anna Hedgeman (CCH Pounder), Representative Adam Clayton Powell (a properly pompous Jeffrey Wright), and Elias Taylor (Johnny Ramey) as an attraction and distraction for Rustin.

The goal of 100,000 peaceful attendees initially seemed nearly impossible, and of course, history tells us the final number was closer to 250,000. This group of activists not only faced opposition from white establishment, including (according to this) the Kennedy brothers, but there was also an incredibly tight timeline to work with. It's the group of dedicated and passionate volunteers that go to the heart of a grassroots movement, and these folks are given their due. The film's weakness is in its attempt to balance the movement with the scandals surrounding Rustin's homosexuality. That angle simply doesn't work as well. As viewers, we are bombarded with monologues galore and stagey acting and scenes, but at the center is a man whose story should be told.

In select theaters November 3, 2023 and on Netflix beginning November 17, 2023.

60 years ago this August, there was the March on Washington, which concluded with the "I Have a Dream" speech. Lost in the shuffle is the lead organizer of the event, Bayard Rustin, whose homosexuality pushed him out of the "leading face" role.

This is a dramatization of Rustin's role in the organization of the march. It went thru several changes in concept, as he and his mostly-youthful volunteers arranged massive logistics for what was planned as a 100,000 person event. More modifications had to be made as heads of major unions and religious groups came on board.

However, detractors from the right picked at his Communist background, and his homosexuality, which meant that he had to keep a lower profile, and he was not one of the "Big Ten" who were invited to meet with President Kennedy afterwards.

Some parts of the story had to be condensed, but the backbone remains intact. The producers did a good job of shooting the crowd scenes, including some marchers in "period costume". Colman Domingo did an excellent job in the lead role of the driven Rusin.

I saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the audience at various times broke out into spontaneous applause. The producers talked about sending the script to Barack Obama, which brought the Obamas on board as executive producers. Obama, who had given Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom on the 50th anniversary of the march, even recorded an introduction to the film.

At the Telluride Film Festival. Bottom line: hands down the best movie I have seen in a very long time. See the movie. It's about Bayard Rustin, who the program describes as an unsung hero of the civil rights era. Directed by George C. Wolfe who was here for the Q&A session. Cast of wonderful actors who couldn't be present because of the strike. Colman Domingo plays the role of Rustin -- he will without doubt be a nominee for best actor. Surprise cast (to me): Chris Rock played Roy Wilkins and gave a wonderful performance. One highlight of our showing: the presentation opened with a video appearance and introduction by one of the executive producers: Barack Obama. Obama was a real producer and was even involved in review of the script. As President, he posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is a Netflix production (overseeing several production companies) so you can see it later this year. You may think you know ahead of time what this movie will be, but trust me: you don't. That's your subconscious bias at work. Final note: this movie is so good that I'm going back to see it again tomorrow (taking up one of my precious time slots).

One more bonus: Da'Vine Joy Randolph plays Mahalia Jackson and sings a song -- she was one of the stars in The Holdovers, another excellent premiere at this year's TFF.