Temptation's Kiss Read Online Free PDF

huh?”
    â€œ It’s a Wonderful Life, You Can’t Take it With You, and Mr. Deeds Goes to Town are my favorite Capra films,” she told him, her eyes shining with excitement. “The scripts were excellent, and the leads and supporting casts were, too. Plus, I liked the dignity Capra imbued his black characters with. Yes, they were servants, but they were treated with respect and got actual lines to say instead of standing around rolling their eyes and grinning.”
    â€œYou have a problem with the way blacks have been portrayed in films?” T.K. was curious. He wanted toknow if she had a fire in her belly to see her people portrayed accurately on film, as he had.
    The waiter arrived and introduced himself. They promptly ordered and sent him on his way, eager to continue their conversation.
    â€œYou were saying,” T.K. prompted Patrice after the waiter had gone.
    â€œWhat black actor wouldn’t have a problem with the way we’ve been portrayed by some filmmakers?” she asked. “But I’m not going the route of blaming the performers of the past. They had to play the buffoon in order to put food on the table. I respect them because they survived during a very unpleasant time for blacks.”
    T.K. smiled at the way she punctuated her words with her hands. Fleetingly, she reminded him of Shiva, the many-armed Hindu goddess. He didn’t know where that thought came from. She stimulated his mind, he supposed.
    â€œWhat about black filmmakers today?” he asked. “Do you think they’re doing everything they can do to bring accurate depictions of blacks to the silver screen?”
    Patrice pursed her lips and squinted at him. “Don’t get me started on that subject. My actor friends say my opinions are unusual to say the least.”
    â€œGo ahead and shock me,” he coaxed. “This goes no farther than this table.”
    â€œAll right,” she said, leaning toward him. “I won’t name names because you already know them anyway. But I don’t think a certain director should be throwingstones at another one simply because they make different types of films. So what if the newcomer’s films are sometimes over-the-top and melodramatic? Hollywood has been producing melodramatic films for ages. One of the most beloved films by black folks, Imitation of Life, is extremely melodramatic. But that doesn’t mean we don’t watch it, raptly, whenever it comes on Turner Classic Movies.”
    T.K. laughed. “You’re right. The scene where the daughter barely makes it to her mother’s funeral on time and makes a spectacle of herself is a seminal scene. And I believe, to this day, that Juanita Moore should have won the Oscar for her role.”
    â€œShe was robbed,” Patrice agreed heartily. “I can’t watch her final scenes without crying.”
    â€œOkay,” T.K. said, “we agree that the way blacks were depicted in the past was largely not their fault. And Tyler Perry is definitely doing something right.”
    â€œWe said no names,” Patrice reminded him, pretending to be scandalized that he would name one of the parties they were discussing.
    â€œNo harm in acknowledging someone who’s making a difference for black actors in the industry. Critics might not get him, but I assure you out-of-work actors love him.”
    â€œT.K.!” exclaimed a booming male voice as a tall, slender black man approached their table. Patrice peered up—and up—at Los Angeles Lakers forward FarrellFaison. Farrell was six-seven. T.K. stood up and shook his hand. “Hello, Farrell, how are you, man?”
    â€œCool, cool,” said Farrell. He looked at Patrice with interest. Patrice smiled up at him. She admired his skill on the court. When she was in town, she tried to go to all the team’s home games. It was the off-season now.
    â€œAren’t you going to introduce me?” he asked