Though the film has had its wider release in the States, on this side of the Atlantic we're still a couple of weeks away from "American Fiction" being available. However, there was a secret screening I went to last night that ended up being this film. This somewhat satirical comedy drama is great and funny, despite some sadder themes.

Thelonious Ellison (Jefferey Wright), known as Monk to his friends, is a critically acclaimed but not particularly successful writer, frustrated with the way his career is going. Already needing to address his mother's dementia, his life is complicated by the death of his sister Lisa (Tracee Ellis Ross) who was financing her care and his brother, Cliff's (Sterling K Brown) complicated personal life. In frustration, he writes the worst black trauma story he can think of, mostly as a joke, but when it receives an immediate and lucrative offer, he has to decide whether his financial woes outweigh his creative standards.

That's summary doesn't make it sound particularly funny, but to get this upfront, it is - and I laughed a lot watching it. It helps, I think, that the film is tonally spot on. That satire of white liberal exploitation in the publishing industry is there, but it's not the whole film - it's not even most of the film. It's a family drama, grounded by a tremendous central performance from Jeffrey Wright, who is willing to make Monk both the screaming voice of reason, in a sea of hypocrisy, but also a condescending and distant character, who will compromise his beliefs for financial gain, but not for relationships ones.

There are a couple of fantasy elements within the story, that are used to explain both the novel that Monk writes and the ending of the film. I can see those perhaps being a little divisive and at the end, felt to me a little like a cop out (and I'm not sure calling it out as such within the film is as much of a defence as it might be). I don't particularly like using film to describe other films, but "Adaptation" is a good touchpoint.

Personally, those elements, even the ending, didn't undermine what was a genuinely funny and clever film. I liked the "Watchmen" series quite a bit too and I'm looking forward to seeing what Cord Jefferson does next.