Image of Trapped in the Closet: An Epic HipHop-era in 12 acts
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Trapped In The Closet: An Epic HipHop-era In 12 Acts

Trapped in the Closet is a work of unadulterated, if perhaps unintentional, genius which rests comfortably alongside the work of Bunuel and Dali. What begins as a stereotypical melodrama quickly escalates into an epic farce which gleefully subverts our conception of what is possible and impossible. Lines like "he's opening the dresser / I pull out my berreta" and "then the midget takes his inhaler out" elevate R. Kelly's meisterwerk into storytelling genius. The subtle touches, like the fact that the midget has asthma, or that the Cop's wife is allergic to cherry pie, are like the details in a Bosch, giving life to the hellscape of modern life and revealing to us, in an age when we find ourselves drawn increasingly apart, that we are all connected in ways which may never be revealed to us, until we are forced into the closet by the unexpected arrival of a one night stand's spouse. R. Kelly's narrative interludes, delivered from inside the closet, remind us of the intent of the artist in orchestrating events, and casts R. Kelly into the mold of a sympathetic but ultimately helpless creator. By revealing to the audience both his control over events and his ultimate helplessness, he reminds us strikingly of Humbert Humbert in his asides to the jury.

Also, the most important thing to remember while watching is that R. Kelly peed on a 14 year old girl.

comments

  • image written by snowcone 697 days ago
    Kieslowski's "The Decalogue" in a modern idiom. Or not.

  • image written by Malte 93 days ago
    Didn't even know it was on the site. This really is a masterpiece... in some way.

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