FILM

from Memphis Flyer - 4/2/20 - On the Front Lines

LAST WORD

Barbecue and Vino

Uncorked is a rare film that gets Memphis right.

n what must be a coincidence, both productions that filmed in Memphis in 2019— Bluff City Law and Uncorked — have protagonists named Elijah. But there is where the similarities end. The NBC series Bluff City Law was led by Jimmy Smits as Elijah Strait, a seasoned lawyer and pillar of his Memphis community whose personal life was considerably more messy and morally ambiguous than his professional reputation would suggest. Smits is a great actor, with a commanding screen presence, but his Elijah was an idealized hero for prime-time, network TV morality plays. He never felt like someone you could run into on the street, even as we were actually running into Jimmy Smits on the streets of Memphis. Uncorked, the feature-length Netflix production which recently debuted on the streaming service, is the story of a young man named Elijah (Mamoudou Athie) who is much more recognizably a Memphian. He’s working two jobs: one in the family barbecue restaurant and another at Joe’s Wines and Liquors. The opening montage (writer/director Prentice Penny loves a good montage) puts the two culinary pursuits I

on equal footing. The care with which a vintner chooses grapes and oversees the exacting process of turning them into wine is the same as Elijah’s father Louis (Courtney B. Vance) puts into selecting the perfect rack of ribs and the right balance of woods to smoke them. One thing Uncorked gets right about Memphis barbecue is the deeply personal connection our restaurateurs have with their cuisine. Pork barbecue is a fundamental part of the culture, and for the predominantly African-American families who pass down recipes from father to son, the barbecue business has been a ticket out of grinding generational poverty. Louis is intensely proud of the restaurant his father founded. “This place is historic! Frankie Beverley had a stroke over there,” he says. The restaurant is wildly successful. When we first see it, there’s a line out the door. (I had a little pang of COVID-19 angst when I first saw the crowded dining room. When will we be able to gather over pulled pork sandwiches again?) It brings in enough to support the whole extended family, who are all expected to pitch in to make it run smoothly. While Mamoudou Athie (left) and Courtney B. Vance do Memphis barbecue justice in Uncorked.

Louis is the gruff patriarch, mother Sylvia (Niecy Nash) is the heart of the place, and the glue that keeps the family together.

Elijah loves his family, but he’s also intensely aware of his own place in the clan’s hierarchy. He’s quiet, sensitive, and frequently drowned out at the dinner table by his more boisterous sisters and cousins. Where he really comes alive is at his other job. Elijah’s got a passion for wine and a talent for selling it. He successfully flirts with his soon-to-be new girlfriend Tanya (Sasha Compere) by comparing wines with hip-hop artists. And, like any good wine- and hiphop-head, he is a little deflated when she says she’ll take the Drake.

Louis wants Elijah to follow in his footsteps and become the third generation to run the restaurant. He’s even planning to open a new location. “The neighborhood is gentrified. You know, with white folks.” But when Elijah gets an opportunity to take the entrance exam for a prestigious sommelier school,

HELP Empower Deaf Children to Listen, Learn, and Talk.

HEALTHY PETS HAPPY PEOPLE At Walnut Grove Animal Clinic, we make sure your loved ones are always our priority. Full-Service, State-of-the-Art Veterinary Hospital. Pet Grooming and Boarding Facilities.

2959 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN 38111 901-323-1177 • mymemphisvet.com New Expanded Hours: Mon.-Thu. 7:30a-9p Fri. 7:30a-5:30p / Sat. 8a-4p / Closed Sun.

GIVEA CHILDTHEGIFTOFSOUND www.mosdkids.org

he takes it, and, to his surprise, he gets in. This seeming good fortune brings to a head the simmering conflict with his father, who not only doesn’t understand his son’s ambitions, but doesn’t even drink wine. It’s up to Sylvia to encourage her son to follow his dream.

There are still major barriers for black filmmakers to realize their dreams, but the success of Prentice Penny, a producer on HBO’s Insecure and Uncorked, which was the mostwatched film on Netflix last weekend, is surely a sign of progress. Taken together with The Photograph from earlier this year, it portends a new wave of post-Moonlight, black-centric dramas that keep the stakes at the personal and familial levels.

Penny has learned the lessons of Tyler Perry’s career, but Perry is a much better producer than he is a director, while Penny has chops in all areas. Athie is an amiable presence and able actor, while Vance is totally believable as the distant father figure. It’s Nash, the veteran comedy actor, who steals the show with a varied and nuanced performance.

Through the lens of veteran cinematographer Elliot Davis (who shot Steven Soderbergh’s groundbreaking Out of Sight in 1998), the Bluff City’s shabby glory shines through. Uncorked is a film made by an outsider that gets Memphis right, and that is a rare vintage indeed.

Uncorked Now streaming on Netflix

Legal Notices AUTO AUCTION White’s Wrecker Service 5080 Wilfong Memphis,TN 38134 April 3, 2020 between 12-3 PM 2000 Honda UEX VIN: 1HGCG225XYA006408 _____________________ AUTO AUCTION April 25, 2020 - 8:30 am Superior Towing 3787 Homewood Rd. Memphis, TN 38118 2008 Chevy VIN: 1GNFC13CX8R232911 2012 Kia VIN: KNDJT2A65C7391717 2018 Ford VIN: 1FTEW1EP0JKF31558 2015 Dodge VIN: 1C3CDFBB9FD378598 2014 Toyota VIN: 2T1BURHE1EC096705 2010 Nissan VIN: 1N4AA5AP4AC836068 2009 Nissan VIN: 1N4AA51E39C816369 2013 Fiat VIN: 3C3CFFBRUDT646522 2017 Nissan VIN: JN1BJ1CP3HW025040 2010 Toyota VIN: 4T1BK3EK4AU114796 2006 Ford VIN: 1FTWW32P36ED23474 _____________________ ORDER OF PUBLICATION IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE No. CT-2905-19 State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, Plaintiff vs. Breane N. Hess a/k/a Breane N. Hight, et al. DefendantsIt appearing from the record in this cause that the whereabouts of the Defendant Breane N. Hess a/k/a Breane N. Hight is unknown and cannot be ascertained upon diligent inquiry. It further appearing that Defendant Breane N. Hess a/k/a Breane N. Hight is a resident of Shelby County, Tennessee. It is therefore ordered that Breane N. Hess a/k/a Breane N. Hight be served with process via publication in four consecutive weeks in the Memphis Flyer and that she make her appearance in the Circuit Court of Shelby County, Tennessee and answer Plaintiffís Petition for Interpleader or the same will be taken for confessed as to Defendant and this cause proceeded with ex parte. This the __ day of February, 2020. CIRCUIT COURT OF SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE By: Jonathan D. Stewart, Attorney for Plaintiff BPR No. 023039 Address: 209 East Main Street City, State, Zip: Jackson, TN 38301 Phone: 731-423-2414 Publication dates: 3/26, 4/2, 4/9 & 4/16. _____________________ RECENTLY DIAGNOSED with LUNG CANCER and 60+ years old? Call now! You and your family may be entitled to a SIGNIFICANT CASH AWARD. Call 844-269-1881 (AAN CAN) today. Free Consultation. No Risk.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES SEEKING BUSINESS PARTNER for great business opportunity†in the entertainment†industry. Great ROI. Call Prince 901-552-9505.

GENERAL PART-TIME BOOKKEEPER Help Wanted: Part-time, experienced Bookkeeper needed, 4 hrs/week, $20/hour on weekend or M-F evenings. John McCoy, 901-756-5583.

IT/COMPUTER APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT ANALYST II - WORKBRAIN needed at International Paper in Memphis, TN. Must have a Bach in Comp Sci or related & at least 5 years of exp, including: Utilizing knowledge of HR,time, labor & payroll domains; Workbrain 5.x functionality, configuration & development; Java application development & implementation; Utilizing Oracle database. Interested applicants send resumes to IT. HR@ipaper.com. Equal

Opportunity/affirmative action employer including vets and disabled.

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT SR. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER needed at Premium Guard Inc. in Memphis, TN. Must have a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering or related & 3 yrs of supply chain exp, including: Global supply chain strategies; Setting inventory strategy & replenishment systems; Supply chain modeling & other statistical analysis tools R programming, Minitab; Utilizing advanced knowledge of Excel, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Project; SQL programming exp. Email resumes to dhead@ premiumguard.com. EOE M/F/D/V.

Overton Place Communities Overton Place Communities

Studios, 1 & 2 BR apartments, duplexes, and houses are NOW AVAILABLE for occupancy! Studios, 1 & 2 bedroom apartments, duplexes, and homes are NowAvailable foroccupancy!

1214 Overton Park (901)276-3603

Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. 1214 Overton Park 901/276-3603 Office hours –Monday–Friday9 A.M. –6 P.M. Saturday–10 A.M. –5 P.M. Cost- $120.00/week Offi ce Hours:

*TAK is HIRING in Memphis & Nashville* Seeking Residential Cable / Internet /Phone Installers Must have valid DL, clean driving record, drug test & background check.

EMPLOYMENT COPELAND SERVICES, L.L.C. Hiring Armed State Licensed Officers/Unarmed Officers Three Shifts Available Same Day Interview 1661 International Place 901-258-5872 or 901-818-3187 Interview in Professional Attire

VW • AUDI MINI•PORSCHE

German Car Experts Specializing in VW & Audi Automobiles

Also Servicing Mini • Porsche

Factory Trained Experience Independent Prices

4907 Old Summer Rd. (Corner of Summer & Mendenhall)

(901) 761-3443 www.WolfsburgAuto.com FOR MEMPHIS: Call/Text 901-713-2640 OR Nadia @ 281-755-9489 FOR NASHVILLE: Call/Text Charlie @ 615- 674-0021 OR Crystal @ 612-470-9009

RAFFERTY’S We are looking for service minded individuals, that don’t mind working hard. We work hard, but make $. Apply in the store. 505 N Gtown Pkwy

RETIREMENT LIVING A PLACE FOR MOM has helped over a million families find senior living. Our trusted, local advisors help find solutions to your unique needs at no cost to you. 1-855-993-2495 (AAN CAN)

MIDTOWN APT EVERGREEN HIST. DIST. XL Studio/or 1BR’s from $495- $750, remodeled, hardwood floors,screened porch, W/D, pets ok. Great neighbors. Only $25 cc fee. 452-3945

SHARED HOUSING FURNISHED ROOMS Bellevue/McLemore, Airways/ Lamar, Jackson/Watkins, Covington Pike. W/D, Cable TV/ Phone. 901-485-0897 _____________________ MIDTOWN ROOM(S) FOR RENT furnished, fridge, microwave, wifi, utilities, A/C, bus line, $90-$125/ wk + dep. 901-498-3599. _____________________ NEED A ROOMMATE? Roommates.com will help you find your Perfect Match today! (AAN CAN) _____________________ NICE ROOMS FOR RENT 8 locations throughout Memphis. Some close U of M. Utilities and Cable included. Fridge in your room. Cooking and free laundry privileges. Some locations w/sec. sys. Starting at $435/mo. + dep. 901.922.9089 _____________________ SOUTH MEMPHIS 1 furnished room for mature ladies in Christian home. Nice area on bus line, near expressway. Non smoker. $400/mo, includes utilities, cooking/laundry privileges. Must be employed or retired. 901-405-5755 or 901- 518-2198.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ORLANDO + DAYTONA BEACH Florida Vacation! Enjoy 7 Days and 6 Nights with Hertz, Enterprise or Alamo Car Rental Included - Only $298.00. 12 months to use 855-898-8912. (AAN CAN)

MASSAGE TOM PITMAN, LMT Massage The Way You Like It. Swedish/Deep Tissue - Relaxation, Hot Stones. Credit Cards. Call 761-7977. tompitmanmassage.com, tom@tompitmanmassage.com _____________________ WILLIAM BREWER Massage Therapist (Health & Wellness offer) 377-6864

METAPHYSICAL WORK WITH KINDRED SPIRITS who are dedicated to guiding you to higher awareness, passion + purpose. Get UNstuck with certified Conscious Coaches - www.mysoulrenity.com - (202) 643-6396 (AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT ALL ABOUT FEET $35-$55 Mobile foot care service, traveling

to you for men & women, ages 50+. Over 25 years of experience. Traveling hours M-F, 9a-6p. Call now 901-270-6060

NUTRITION/HEALTH ONE-STOP-SHOP For All Your Catheter Needs. We Accept Medicaid, Medicare, & Insurance. Try Before You Buy. Quick and Easy. Give Us A Call 866-282-2506 (AAN CAN) _____________________ VIAGRA & CIALIS! 60 pills for $99. 100 pills for $150. FREE shipping. Money back guaranteed! Call Today 1-844-879-5238 (AAN CAN)

WORKSHOPS BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Authorís Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN)

• 28 Years of Experience• 28 Years of Experience Laurie Stark

• Life Member of the Multi Million Dollar Club

• From Downtown to Germantown • Call me for your Real Estate Needs

www.hobsonrealtors.com (901)761-1622 • Cell (901)486-1464

TAXES *2019 Tax Change Benefits* Personal/Business + Legal Work By a CPA-Attorney Practicing in Midtown & Memphis Since 1989 (901) 272-9471 1726 Madison Ave Bruce Newman newmandecoster.com Midtown Friendly! *2020