Cellars of IMDb: Mos Def Acts and Raps But Does Not Model Swimwear
Mos Def (ne Dante Terrell Smith) is a hugely talented performer with a burgeoning acting career and a reputation as one of the most important rappers of the last twenty years. He's had major roles in two recent summer blockbusters and a number of critically acclaimed roles in smaller pictures. Yet he is still something of an unknown.

Last week we left off at The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, so there we shall begin.



Def plays Ford Prefect, a sort of interstellar Zagat writer, who finds himself stuck on the rather rustic planet of Earth, which is about fifteen minutes from its destruction.



Ford, like everything in the movie, is larger than life and more than a little silly, which is something of a shift from a career highlighted by understated performances and underground hip-hop. Still, though Ford is played in broad strokes, he is still one of the most grounded of the film's characters. As the dimwitted President of the Galaxy, a diabolical cult leader, and a clinically depressed robot grab for the audiences attention Ford serves as strong, comparatively quiet center for the film.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was the capstone to a stupendous 2004 for Mos Def. While filming THGTTG The Woodsman hit theatres, Something the Lord Made aired on HBO, and released his sophomore album, Grammy-nominated The New Danger.



The New Danger was critically acclaimed and is difficult to characterize briefly. Ostensibly a hip-hop album it has elements of various styles of rock and roll, as well as clear reggae and soul influences, among others.



Def's performance as Vivien Thomas alongside Alan Rickman's Alfred Blalock in Something the Lord Made netted him an Emmy nomination, and finally some attention on his acting career. The picture, a true story of breakthroughs in heart surgery and the constant struggle with racism, is heart-warming (Get it, heart-warming?) and powerful. Mos Def's performance is quietly moving; Thomas's great inner strength is always just below the surface.



The Woodsman was not widely released, but was leagues better than the overwhelming majority of 2004's other films. Its popularity waslimitedd however by its minimal release and its difficult themes. Thee film follows Walter (Kevin Bacon), who has just been released from prison after twelve years. Walter is quiet and withdrawn from those he meets and eventually it is revealed that he was imprisoned for molesting little girls. Despite the immediate visceral reaction against him for his pedophilia, Walter is an easy character to get behind. Everybody who sees this picture is rooting for him to get his life back on track and to atone for his past sins. Mos Def's performance as Walter's parole officer, Sgt. Lucas, plays an integral part in the development of that sympathy.



Sgt. Lucas hardly ever raises his voice past a croon barely louder than a whisper, and it is more powerful than the barking of any stereotypical police interrogator. Mos Def only appears for three scenes of total length not more than fifteen minutes, but Sgt. Lucas dominates the screen so effectively that the audience is hardly aware of the brevity of his appearances. Lucas's uncaring hostility for his charge is chillingly cold, and we are never sure how much he knows and how much is his supposition.



2003's The Italian Job was Def's first shot at a major role, albeit a supporting one. He was the only actor who managed to perform his role (that of demolitions expert and comic relief man Left Ear) as well as the Mini Coopers did theirs. Somehow that disaster has a sequel in the works.



2002 saw Mos Def's Broadway debut in Topdog/Underdog, which in turn led to a Obie Award-winning turn in an off-Broadway production of Fucking A. Both were written by Suzan Lori Parks and directed by George Wolf.

Def previously turned in memorable, though minor performances in Monster's Ball (2001) and Spike Lee's Bamboozled (2000),as well as a number of lessnoteworthyy roles in much less noteworthy movies.

In 1999 he releases his long-awaited debut solo LP, Black on Both Sides. Rap once again could have a message.



In the two years prior he built up an underground reputationprimarilyy on the strength of his 1997 single "Universal Magnetic" and his collaboration with Talib Kweli, known as Black Star.

Mos Def has also hosted Def Poetry and performed sketch comedy on the Lyricist Lounge Show and Chappelle's Show.

Tune in next week when I write more things and then post them on the Internet.


And remember the guiding light, lest we forget the glory that be Lemon Party.
Because your blog sucks.
- posted by Odovaucer @ 11:59 PM