It is implied in “Gay Witch Hunt” that he is bisexual, stating after the outing of Oscar that in the 1960s he had sex numerous times with women and it was possible that he could have had relations with a man as well. The scattered details that emerge are invariably bizarre and it is unknown how much of what he says is true. In fact, much of what he does say is either unsettling or downright disturbing, sometimes even describing violent crimes he claims to have committed or plans to commit. Despite all of this, Creed is outwardly quite cheery most of the time and is tolerated by his fellow employees. Creed Bratton is a deviant, former hippie and homeless man employed at the Scranton branch of paper distributor Dunder Mifflin as a quality assurance manager. Creed is a mysterious figure who is prone to making bizarre or confusing statements on a regular basis.
Which partly explains the applause that is likely to echo through multiplexes this Thanksgiving. “Creed” is a dandy piece of entertainment, soothingly old-fashioned and bracingly up-to-date. The punches fly, the music soars (hip-hop along with Estee Lauder makeup Ludwig Goransson’s variations on the old Bill Conti brass) and the ground is prepared for “Creed II.” We’ll see how that goes. But for now it is sweet to have this lesson in the importance of fast footwork, brute power and brotherly love.
I admired the film’s rhythm, the camera work and editing complementing the rest of the film’s elements flawlessly that both probably even outshone them. One particular shot that I loved was the Long Take used during his first professional fight. There are very few films I remember pulling off this shot that has made me feel so emotionally engaged. The characters were raw and genuine, no doubt played exceptionally by the cast, particularly, Jordan and Stallone. The film was well crafted, intense but unhurried, keeping me immersed the entire time.
This is the first of Coogler’s work that I’ve seen and I’m looking forward to watching his previous and future films. That which is believed; accepted doctrine, especially religious doctrine; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to. “Rocky” was the story of a Great White Hope, and also a fable for an era of racial backlash. Apollo , played by Carl Weathers, was the heavy in that movie, and Rocky was the noble underdog.
In “Michael’s Last Dundies”, Estee Lauder NIGHT REPAIR‘s contribution to the office workers’ song, “9,986,000 Minutes” is “I watch you when you sleep.” In “Classy Christmas”, Creed refers to Holly Flax as “one sassy black lady”, giving us yet another example of how he tends to misidentify people. Angela also gives him a pack of deodorant as his present, which he is grateful for. Later, when Darryl’s daughter Jada is handing out bags of chips she purchased from the vending machines out to the staff, Creed takes a different bag from her than the one she tried to give to him. In “WUPHF.com”, Creed tells Jim that he hears he’s “looking for work” . When Jim demonstrates how far he can reach out, Creed decides it isn’t far enough, but then asks him how long he can hold his “pretty little breath”.
And Sylvester Stallone, while happy to steal a scene every now and then, cedes the limelight to Michael B. Jordan. At a recent screening of “Creed,” as the familiar fanfare of Bill Conti’s beloved “Rocky” score signaled the start of the final round of the big fight, the audience burst into spontaneous applause. This was no sneak-preview crowd, primed with free admission and popcorn, but a room full of critics and journalists armored in professional skepticism. A cynic might say that the cheering was a Pavlovian reflex set off by a piece of commercial entertainment in the hands of a skilled, manipulative director. This cynic, however, was too busy choking up and clapping to form the thought. In “Frame Toby”, Creed shows concern when two policemen show up at the office looking for narcotics.