by Kyle Flynn

At the end of every Florida Film Festival, the festival does a Closing Night Retro Film. Years ago, in 2018, this film was Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, starring the immaculate Pam Grier, who came in person to present the film with few words prior. The 2024 Festival chose to program Foxy Brown for this year’s Closing Night film, a landmark film for the genre of Blaxploitation, the primary visual inspiration for Jackie Brown, and in addition to her other movie, Coffy, the filmmade Pam Grier known.

When her brother, Link (Antonio Fargas), reveals the true identity of her boyfriend (Terry Carter) to the members of a drug syndicate to repay his 10,000 dollar debt. Foxy Brown (Pam Grier) decides to take down the drug syndicate from the inside in this 1974 Blaxploitation Film.

In every film starring Grier, denying her absolute commitment to the role or project she has chosen to take on is hard. One of the few actresses you can see act with their entire heart in any project. That sentiment remains true with Foxy Brown, from beginning to end, she captures the hearts and minds of not only the characters on screen but the audiences in the theater. The fantastic ensemble only works to make her shine, but it doesn’t lose focus on the individual performances. After five decades of work from Grier, I continue to view this as her best work closely followed by Jackie Brown and her work on Miami Vice.

There doesn’t happen to be a weak link in the ensemble. As I write this review, the news of the passing of Terry Carter, who plays the boyfriend of Grier in this film, has just been announced. Despite his small amount of screen time, he delivers a magnetic performance. Peter Brown andKathryn Loder are worth mentioning, as they serve as the primary antagonists. They simplydon’t let go of the grip they have on you. You are always invested in everyone. Finally, Antonio Fargas as Link gives one of the better comedic performances of the film and outacts themajority of the material given.

Jack Hill accomplishes a lot in the direction of the film. He makes what could have been his own, which works well. The DCP Restoration of the film showcased at the Enzian Theater truly made the film shine in gorgeous 35mm. The script perhaps leaves a little to be desired but is filled with iconic lines, hilarious set pieces, and moving dialogue that works for what it is.

When you think of the beats normally seen in Blaxploitation films, the bombastic story, theflashiness, and the violence, but most of all, the heart of real stories that affect the black community. I have been fortunate to have watched many in my life, and while rewatching FoxyBrown, I believe this to be the pinnacle of the movement. It elevates everything showcased inthe film to 11 and does not give you a moment to think but how well crafted it is.

In the end, Foxy Brown remains a strong recommendation and an essential watch for any filmfan. A film anyone can find value in, if for no other reason than seeing a signature Pam Grierperformance. After fifty years the film is so fun, and nothing quite like it has ever replicated the magic of Foxy Brown.

4 stars