Just as inexplicable Best Picture winner Green Book was, much to its detriment, the story of a white guy learning that racism is bad, so too is The Best of Enemies about a white guy learning the error of his bigoted ways.

Thus, it's even more aggravating that debut writer/director Robin Bissell doesn't give equal time to both Rockwell and Henson. You might, in the year 2019, not be particularly interested in seeing the side of the Ku Klux Klan given equal emotional weight and depth as that of non-white characters. The problem begins with a phrase from the previous paragraph - 'on both sides'. Will they realize they have more in common than not? Will the schools be integrated? Have you seen a modern historical drama lately? In fairness, the problem with The Best of Enemies is not that its outcome is instantly predictable. are tasked with co-chairing the summit despite their innate hatred for each other. Eventually, the community sets up a charrette, in which different community leaders on both sides come together to propose and vote on a resolution. After an electrical fire renders the segregated, blacks-only school unsafe, the question arises of whether or not Durham's schools should be racially integrated. Ellis (Rockwell), the president of the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, who's more than happy to stonewall Ann in her attempts to gain racial equality.

On one side, there's Ann Atwater (Henson), a community organizer first seen advocating for better housing conditions for Durham's black population. Set in Durham, North Carolina, in 1971, The Best of Enemies focuses on two people who exist as extreme opposites. Henson are perfectly well-suited to playing their characters, but the script and direction are less compelling than skimming a Wikipedia entry about the real story being dramatized. The story being told here is necessary to learn about in 2019, and lead actors Sam Rockwell and Taraji P.

On the other hand, at no point is The Best of Enemies remotely cinematic or dramatically interesting. On one hand, the events it depicts are fascinating in their presentation of how potent and visceral the racial divide was (and still is) in parts of our country. The new true-life drama The Best of Enemies exists in a unique, purgatory-like space.

The best of enemies true story