Go here for my previous attempt at watching Malcolm X. I'm still peeved at my library. Not just because of what happened before, but in the fact that this current copy had been "in transit" for over 2 months. Ugh. What is it about my library branch and this movie?

Anyway, as for the movie itself, I've heard nothing but good things about the film and more specifically about Denzel Washington's portrayal of the title character. He was in fact as good as the reviews have said and was rightly nominated for Best Actor. But the movie for me wasn't perfect. Personally, I don't think the movie really start to hit speed until Malcolm joins the Nation Of Islam and changes his name. I think everything before that was kind of scattershot, whether this was intentional or not, it didn't really explain a whole lot and the editing was bad in places. But once he transforms himself into X, the movie became what I thought the movie would be. Great.

I remember reading that Denzel himself really didn't know much about Malcolm X prior to filming and I have to say that I too knew very little of the man myself. In Elementary, Junior High and High School, the focus was always on Martin Luther King and barely a mention of X. Having seen the movie now and as good as it is, I know more than I ever learned in school, but I still feel like I'm missing something, like there is a lot more to be told. Anyway, I definitely recommend this as a Rent if you are interested in history. It's a solid addition to Spike Lee's filmography.