Boots Riley burst onto the movie scene eight years ago with his film Sorry to Bother You, an indie hit that garnered a lot of buzz. After a brief stop on a television show, Riley returns to theaters with a new film using the absurd to deliver wide-ranging social commentary.
I Love Boosters follows Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomie Ackie), and Mariah (Taylour Paige), a group of shoplifters who steal and resell clothes to make ends meet. Corvette is also an aspiring fashion designer and soon discovers that her idol, fashion maven Christie Smith (Demi Moore) is stealing her designs for her own line. The group then sets out to expose Christie to the world.
I Love Boosters retains Riley’s taste for using the absurd as a lens through which to critique and comment on societal issues and institutions, but what sets his sophomore effort apart from his lauded debut is how much more restrained and focused the absurdity is here. Themes regarding propaganda, elite greed and largesse, and the exploitation of the working class are filtered through far out concepts regarding actors wearing skin suits and a deus ex machina that can teleport or deconstruct anything. The absurdist concepts work in tandem with the social themes however, providing an experience that is humorous and over-the-top without teetering over the edge as they at times during Sorry to Bother You’s equestrian third act (if you know, you know).
Positing propagandists who appear on television pushing extreme political views on both sides as actors for hire who wear literal skin suits portraying these characters at the behest of nefarious elites is clever satire exploring current social issues while still serving the film’s narrative. Likewise for the teleporter/accelerator which finds the hidden meaning behind fashion, despite the fact that the explanation behind how it works can get a little complicated and slightly convoluted. Still, the level of absurdist satire is neater and display Riley’s growth as a screenwriter, honing and tightening his skill as he gains more experience.
The second area where the writer/director displays his growth with this film is in its cinematography. Riley and director of photography Natasha Braier’s use of the camera is notable in I Love Boosters, teaming with the use of color in both the production and costume design to create a stand out visual experience. The tandem’s utilization of extreme closeups akin to Barry Jenkins’ now trademark shots add additional artistic flair to the film’s visual language. One of the standout visual sequences comes early in the film in a dream that Corvette has where she is trapped in a never ending maze of clothes and can’t find her way out. It works on multiple levels, the first being visually as the camera works its way through a colorful wall of clothing in both first person view and closeups of Corvette while metaphorically serving as a way of communicating the character feeling trapped by boosting and not knowing how to navigate out of it toward something else despite wanting to do so. I Love Boosters’ positives can be tidily summed up through this one scene that is well planned and executed.
I Love Boosters works as the next step in Boots Riley’s evolution as a filmmaker. The film manages to maintain his sensibilities behind the camera, keeping his absurdist social commentary weird enough while adding in more restraint that makes it more accessible for a wider audience. Keke Palmer is her usual entertaining self as the film’s protagonist and her chemistry with Naomie Ackie as Sade pays off during the third act climax where the two have a come to Jesus moment regarding their friendship. I Love Boosters is well shot and just wacky enough to be entertaining.
Image: NEON
