(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
(“Clayface” trailer courtesy of Warner Bros.)
No one better complain about Tom Cruise’s new film “Digger” being too eccentric if they praise “Clayface” for the same attributes.
Hollywood must have read some of the reviews in RegalMag.com over the years about the movie industry becoming too formulaic because many filmmakers must have vowed to produce the opposite in recent years.
In the same spirit of uniqueness, DC Comics has come for the jugular with “Clayface,” a movie that is definitely different, with its share of hard-to-watch moments thanks to some physical disfiguring.
In filmmaking, and any other media-related field, a person’s appearance can be the difference between a lucrative career on camera or a career behind the scenes.
Talent is not enough to succeed as a Hollywood actor.
Having a million-dollar face can make it easier to become a full-fledged movie star and celebrity, and not just a working thespian.
In “Clayface,” Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is on his way to becoming that bonafide movie star, especially if he garners an Academy Award nomination for his latest movie.
Even amid Matt anticipating an Oscar nod, the Hollywood grind does not stop.
Matt works on his lines while in the car, mastering a simple phrase with the right tone and pitch to convey the desired emotion.
Although Matt is a celebrity, getting attention from the paparazzi, he remains levelheaded thanks to a great team around him, including his longtime best friend.
But when the nominations are announced, and Matt’s career continues its ascension, it would be blasphemy not to enjoy the fruits of labor or his fame.
Enjoying the fruits of a star’s labor involves alcohol, women and sometimes something a little stronger than liquor.
In a nightclub full of beautiful women, Matt locks eyes on Theresa.
Or should it be the other way around with Theresa locking eyes with Matt.
Although Matt’s best friend warns him that Theresa is spoken for, Matt replies “not tonight.”
Unfortunately, sensual nights can sometimes lead to sinister reactions, depending on who Theresa’s boyfriend is.
When Matt finally understands what his best friend was warning him about before he left the club, it is too late.
In “Clayface,” a nude Matt and Theresa wake up surrounded by her man and his henchmen.
Knowing exactly who Matt is and what he does for a living, the disgruntled lover instructs his goons to make a permanent mark on Matt’s career, by seriously disfiguring his million-dollar mug.
The injuries could not have come at a worse time for Matt considering that the Academy Awards are coming up and he is preparing for his next movie role.
Almost immediately, following his injuries, Matt’s career and cash flow dry up, and he is desperate to get back his face and his status in Hollywood.
While anguishing in self-pity, Matt sees some hope in a scientist named Caitlyn Corr (Naomie Ackie, “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody”) who sees some positive signs in regenerating damaged skin and tissue.
Although her research is incomplete and not approved for human trials, Matt persuades Caitlyn into letting him become her human guinea pig.
Thankfully, the treatments begin to work, and Matt slowly regains the million-dollar mug that had him on the verge of mega stardom.
In “Clayface,” Caitlyn tries to warn him that the early success does not guarantee permanent success, and that he should keep a low profile until she determines if the treatment is completely successful.
But like a scorn lover trying to hurt their ex, Matt rushes to get his get-back, not knowing that the treatment has forever altered his look and his personality, for better or worse.
The story of revenge is as old as time.
And since practically everyone can relate to wanting to get revenge on someone who has done them wrong, “Clayface” should resonate with all moviegoers who pay for an admission ticket.
Although “Clayface” is a villain’s origin story, many villains did not begin with malice in their hearts.
Many villains, bullies and violent criminals became that way because people drove them to it.
The adage that nice guys finish last applies to “Clayface.”
When Matt was a meek little kid, he was taken advantage of.
After he used that to motivate him to have a successful career, those he trusted turned their backs on him when he suffered his facial injuries.
Even those he probably had forgiven for past childhood trauma, are quick to laugh when he falls on hard times after suffering face disfigurement.
For that reason, when he begins his revenge tour, it is understandable and even laudable.
But despite the relatable theme of getting revenge on backstabbers and haters, some of the movie is just hard to watch and might have many audience members turning their eyes away from the screen during some cringe-worthy moments.
Harries does his thing in “Clayface.”
But the most important character is Caitlyn played by Ackie.
It is always great to see Black Girl Magic on the big screen, especially in something as major as a DC Comics movie.
Watching a Black woman succeed in the fields of science and medicine is the norm throughout the world.
But it is wonderful when the norm in life is also the norm in entertainment, especially during an era when the small screen is inundated with images of Black women as drug dealers or married to drug dealers.
That sad depiction is becoming hard to watch because it is too stereotypical and one-dimensional.
Many in Black America want something different, just like mainstream America.
With “Clayface,” America is definitely getting something different just like it did with “Digger” a few weeks ago.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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