Bridgett M. Davis’ movie “Naked Acts”, which was produced in 1996 and is a newly found work of Maya S. Cade, alongside Julie Dash, Kino Lorber, and Milestone Films, is an independent movie that revolves around the journey of an independent filmmaker and the tale of a generational actress. It is compelling, and intense and engrosses its viewers in an intimate plot that is hard to ignore.
Cicely, portrayed by Jake Ann Jones, Begins the film by narrating a letter that she is penning down to her mother, an ex-erotica actress. Young Cicely is consistently sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend and is manipulated in the “naked acts” her mother performed while being an actress. The vile complexity shown at the start is heart-wrenching, leaving the viewer with a lot of hope.
In her teenage years, Cicely wants to become an actress but is appalled by her mother’s career and the film roles she selected. An old boyfriend of hers wanted to include her in an “art film” where she was supposed to star in the film completely nude and although Cicely was hesitant she successfully was able to convince the producer for the film to allow her to wear clothes.
This is the first time Cicely has acted, in her opinion, this is the first time she is properly presented in front of the world. Although Cicely has shed a lot of weight, making her slimmer by Hollywood standards, she retains the dictatorial look on how she wants to be viewed on the big screen. Her decision to stay on the project shows the resolve she has to display her newfound confidence and keep her body preserved and cherished. Even to this day, the concept of self-preservation as a Black woman actress, existing within the entertainment industry, is still an audacious and honorable character trait, according, to Bridgett M. Davis.
Cicely finds it perplexing that Naked Acts started off as a “fresh and unique” production, but began turning funny and weird 35 minutes in or were these 35 minutes considered the buildup? The producer’s annoyance with his novice cast is also a great understanding, during the silent acting scene accompanied by an Orchestra, and challenging sound.
Watching the all-black cast of the movie within a 4K restoration truly accentuates the beauty highlighted in their skin. The bright red wig suited Cicely, who while wearing light blue, looked stunning, and decorated the show phenomenally. It is contrast, but effective, so much so that it gives Cicely all the fierceness and independence her character needs throughout the film, especially in combination with the vivid lightning and clothing.
The audience along with Cicely herself takes a deep plunge through Cicely’s transformation as she recalls her childhood memories of her father where looking at her father made her feel secure, unlike her memories with her mother’s partner. Cicely shares her struggles with the audience how she always had to witness her mother being treated poorly, and in one particular instance, she recalls how her mother was beaten up by her partner. To step away from her urges, and the shame they brought along, Cicely begins self-portraying herself in an uncomfortable manner. Hacks performed throughout the films by stripping Cicely down both physically and mentally eventually forced her to start stumbling her way through self-portraiture In Naked Self Portrait, the camera shifts from stalking Cicely and rather loses itself in capturing raw, encouraging, and intimate moments with her. The filming might have gotten creepy, but the self-exploration clearly served its purpose of allowing Cicely to discover herself.
Contrary to unspoken romantic conversations on the emotions elicited in Cicely, where her ex-boyfriend Joel forces Singh into an awkward situation as Joel pretends to be her ex. In this case, Joel, played beautifully by Ron Cephas Jones, narrates how surprised he is to find Cicely in such a lovely state. With all the calmness in the movie, there are sporadic instances of romantic banter. Not exactly romance, but inviting and intimate. When they are seated together Joel casually teases Cicely, saying “You’re new and improved, just gotta look in the mirror, which they couple of glimpses at each other.” Around nine minutes later the romance is resumed. Such as a planted seed, establishing such intimate love scenes surely contributed to the two actors hitting it off so naturally and intimately.
Naked Acts is very real Young Cicely starts the show by stuffing a shirt with tissues to portray a breast. Her mother first removes the tissue and then, after a little pause, replaces it inside her shirt. The two seem closely attached to each other, and Cicely wishes to be a replica of her mother. After such a beautiful pure scene, when a mother and daughter seem to be in love, they are made to realize that such love existed just a fleeting moment ago. Grief, repression, and vulnerability are themes that will carry the film, while optimism, forgiveness, and self-acceptance are those themes that will touch the viewer deep down.
As for Cicely, her attitude depicts traumatization that inflicts congestion with her therapeutic acts of depression, meaning the radical projection of feminine and artistic nature that drives the spectator’s attention, and Jake-Ann Jones’s portrayal, clearly will hold people’s attention. She can effortlessly slide in and out of roles from the demure and shy type to strong, graceful women.
Before actually viewing the movie, my curiosity was piqued due to the impact that Julie Dash had. The Niece of my college instructor and the director of Daughters of the Dust has a history of fantastic independent filmmaking. While viewing Naked Acts I was certainly inspired by the details and rawness of Bridgett M. Davis’ directing and writing. Her contribution to reconstructing this film is simply another reason to watch it. The recently restored movie Naked Acts from 1996 feels new and refreshing because of the reason that it captures a generation’s triumph through its great story and great casting.
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