Coming out this week from Netflix is the upcoming drama film, Uncorked, written and directed by Prentice Penny (Insecure) in his feature directorial debut. The film will stream globally on March 27, 2020.
Starring Mamoudou Athie (Patti Cake$, The Front Runner), Niecy Nash (Claws), and Courtney B. Vance (Ben is Back), Uncorked is a father/son story about love, sacrifice and following your heart and is loosely based on Penny’s own family history. Also cast in the film are Matt McGorry, Sasha Compere, Gil Ozeri, Kelly Jenrette, Bernard David Jones, and Meera Rohit Kumbhani.
Fueled by his love for wine, Elijah enrolls in a course to become a master sommelier, an elite designation given only to a handful who are able to pass its notoriously difficult exam. It’s a dream that upends the expectations of his father, Louis (Courtney B. Vance), who insists Elijah take over the popular Memphis barbeque joint that’s been passed down from father to son since its inception. Elijah struggles with the demands of school and a new relationship, while Louis wrestles with the feelings of his son rejecting the family business until a tragedy forces both of them to slow things down. Uncorked is a hilarious and touching drama about a father and son who have to finally learn to listen to one another.
For Athie, whose previous TV and film credits include “Jean of the Joneses,” “Patti Cake$,” “The Get Down,” where he played Grandmaster Flash, “The Detour,” “The Circle,” “The Front Runner,” “Unicorn Store,” “Cake,” “Sorry For Your Loss,” and more recently “Underwater,” his stock is only rising. This is the first lead role for the Yale School of Drama grad. Among the characters he’s played are a rapper, a politician and now a wine expert. With each film, you get to see different aspects of his acting and we still have more to look forward to.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Athie about his role in Uncorked, learning the wine business and giving an opportunity to first time filmmakers.
You’ve played a rapper, a politician among other characters. Every film you’ve done is totally different from the other. What was the attraction to doing this film?
Mamoudou Athie: To be honest, it was a really beautiful love story. I talked to Prentice and when we spoke, I was just taken aback. I just knew the vision he had in his mind. I also wanted to work with him on his first feature, because I think he’s a really brilliant guy, and a hilarious guy I might add. It’s one of those things where I said to myself, “I’ve got to do this.” Finding out the cast was just cherry on the top, but the story is really beautiful.
There’s a lot of themes presented in this movie. It’s a story about a father and son. It’s about learning the wine business. It’s about family and responsibilities. What more can you say about the character you play and how would you relate to him?
Mamoudou Athie: I really liked the Elijah. He’s just a good guy. We are a little different in the way we go after things. I’ve been very myopically focused on acting since I was a kid. I only got more serious after I was 19. He’s had like a lot of varied interests and tried many different things, trying to find his calling. But we’re alike in that we love our family. And though we might have our differences, the love is there no matter what and I appreciated his dedication to them whenever things got rough. His connection to the family is something I related to.
You mentioned the similarities and the differences. You went to study acting and he went to study wine. These are not the paths parents envision for their kids. Did you think about this as you took on the role?
Mamoudou Athie: Actually my parents were extraordinarily supportive of my career choice since I was a kid. Even when they had very little reason to, when I was like struggling in New York, then going to like open calls for a year or two; just waking up early every morning and just waiting to not be seen. They’ve been ordinarily supportive. To see it work out, it really makes me happy that they get to see it.
Can you talk about working with Courtney and Niecy?
Mamoudou Athie: I look up to Courtney B. Vance. He’s been a role model of mine forever, ever since I seriously got into acting. We went to the same school actually. He went to Yale back in the day. He’s having a really wonderful career and really respectable, wonderful choices. The only thing was like, “oh man, I’m so nervous,” When I first met him, he was so funny and I then thought that this is going to be so fun. With Niecy, I think I don’t need to tell you about her but she created a very warm, loving and also hyper, like intensely funny atmosphere on set. I just have to be around these people and soak it in.
You’re playing someone who’s learning about wine. How much goes into the research when you’re playing these roles?
Mamoudou Athie: The research I do varies from movie to movie. This did require a lot of research. Mainly the main focus was on Memphis and why. So like I studied with producer Datari Turner’s brother DLynn Turner and Ryan Radish for the wine, go through Sommelier training, a very abbreviated version of that. These guys are real Sommeliers. I don’t know if you’ve seen the movie Somm, but the guys in the film work, work work to get that pin. I’m not going to do that unless I have the time. I am going to do everything that I can to make sure that I’m doing an accurate representation of what a Sommelier does. So the wonderful thing is whenever there was anything dealing with Ryan on set, first we have a whole week with him and he would just teach me through the grid, and how things break down. he made it accessible to me, because the jobs seem seem so daunting, and so difficult that the thing that I needed, first and foremost, was to understand how it was possible. Then once you know how it’s possible, then you can do it to a point of reality. But if you don’t believe in what you’re doing at all then you can’t do it convincingly. So that was the main hurdle. After that it was just fun because we’re learning about wine is fun.
So when you’re able to go to restaurants now, and you’re looking at the wine list, are you able to know what you’re going to order and do those people look at you like, “Oh, you really know your wine?”
Mamoudou Athie: Sometimes I’ll be careful about not looking like a fool. I don’t want to be that guy who just seems like a snob for no reason because the way I act. I only know so much. I know what I like so I can’t say oh, I want this wine. But I can go, “I want this kind of grape. I want this kind of feel or I want this kind of flavor.” When you list it all down like that, it’s like, “What are you trying to be? Trying to show off?” And I’m like, “No, man, I just know what I want.” And before doing this movie, I didn’t know what I want. So I just stuck with it. I either went with somebody who did and like would introduce me to something or have my regular wine or something.
How was traveling to Paris?
Mamoudou Athie: Oh, my God. The travel wasn’t so great. But being in Paris is wonderful. The architecture and stuff reminded me how young of a country we live in because by the architecture there is just different. We have beautiful places in America too obviously but some of these things were built before America was a concept.
How was working with Prentice on this film?
Mamoudou Athie: I just thought he was so cool. This sounds it might sound weird, but he just knew exactly what he wanted, but also gave people room to play. With indie filmmaking, you gotta go, and he would make time for things that needed the time. He’d also make it happen and keep it moving if things were getting a little bit hazy. I just thought he did such a wonderful, wonderful job of handling this as a first time director on a feature because it’s really daunting. He slammed it.
You seem to have a knack for giving people their first shot. You were in Stella Meghie’s first fim, Jean of the Joneses, You were in Geremy Jasper’s first movie, Patti Cakes, and also in Brie Larson’s first directorial film, Unicorn Storm. What goes into saying yes, knowing it’s first time filmmakers? Some of them are known and some of them are not.
Mamoudou Athie: I just like a good story. Whether it’s a first time filmmaker or not, it doesn’t matter. If I talk to them and they know what they want to do, it doesn’t matter. There’s an excitement working with a first time filmmaker when they’re figuring things out, and you’re figuring things out. You never get to have that experience again. So I really cherish the time that I’m in the first feature of a director’s movie because it’s a really special experience.
This is your first starring role, and you’re pretty much on every page. How does that make you feel as an actor knowing you have to carry the bulk of the film?
Mamoudou Athie: I was with Prentice and that’s the thing about having a director like Prentice. Whenever I would have a moment where I was a little unsure, he just reminded me why he hired me. He just gave me the confidence of, “I know what I’m doing here” and the experiences that I’ve had and other sets. I remember talking to Brie (Larson) and Jason Reitman before this movie and they really gave me this wonderful encouragement as I step into my first time leading role. Whenever I had like a moment of doubt, I’d have all these people that would give me encouragement and I just carry that with me with every project.
What’s the sell to seeing this movie?
Mamoudou Athie: I think for me the reason that sold me on doing this movie is that it’s a good story with good actors and it’s a beautiful story about family and love. To be honest with you, another thing that really attracted me to this movie is that it’s not about trauma. It’s not about specifically black trauma. It’s about a black family, being a black family in the specter of white supremacy. It’s just us living our lives. That’s the thing that excited me about also Jean of the Joneses. It was just a story about this family. It was just about us. These are stories that also need to be shared more.
What’s next for you?
Mamoudou Athie: I just wrapped ‘Black Box,’ this movie I did in New Orleans by another wonderful first time feature filmmaker, Emmanuel Osei-Kuffou. It’s in conjunction with Blumhouse and Amazon. I’m really excited for that. It’s is my second starring role in a feature and I’m very excited. I think we made something really interesting and wild.
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