That Clever Winsome Girl

Winsome (Sandye Wilson) pulled a heck of a feat. DP: Herman Lew.

Remember that old phrase, “win some, lose some?”

With a manifesting name like Winsome— by definition meaning “generally pleasing and engaging due to a childlike innocence”— she knows exactly whom to butter up. In her first Naked Acts scene, Winsome, the former artist model and active dancer demurely sits Indian style on the stool in actor/producer Marcel Brown’s office, punctual and quiet, giving off a coy radiance. For her soft, eloquent mannerisms, Marcel positions Winsome on a high pedestal, pitting her against the other actresses, latecomers Cece and Randi. 

This perfect composition paints a vital picture of the ladies’ varying personalities in Marcel’s office, Winsome (Sandye Wilson) towering over Randi (Natalie Robinson) and Cece (Jake-ann Jones). DP: Herman Lew.

The initial meeting allows an opportunity to read the room, to decipher everyone’s respective energies. Winsome already knows Marcel’s hierarchy— promptness, a positive attitude, and talent. The moment she raises her hand and smiles, the gesture reeks of an eager teacher’s pet. Marcel immediately softens his tone and regards her with affection. In fact, Marcel rarely raises his voice at Winsome. 

Although Winsome has the role of the artist’s daughter in the Body of Art film, Marcel sees that she has talent. Often, she sides with him during the cast read throughs. DP: Herman Lew.

Winsome’s humble sweetness has Marcel eating out of her hands. Moments happen between them— little stolen glances and her ready acceptance of his critiques. 

She may be kind to everyone on the film set, but there’s a factor reserved for Marcel, a certain agenda placed at his door. Marcel questions Joel’s decision to have Cece play the multifaceted Elana role, speaking of Winsome’s abilities, “so open, so raw, you seldom see that in an actress.” Maybe Winsome charmed her way into stubborn Marcel’s stern disposition by presenting a subtle mixture of naivety and grace, channeling the appropriate emotions warranted for Elana. Other hints foreshadow Marcel’s desire to replace Cece with Winsome and Winsome welcomes the opportunity. Is Winsome a girl’s girl or is she biding time to build herself up on the back of a noted actor/producer? 

Winsome is not at all villainous, more so an opportunist to be wary of, a surface level “good girl. By using her therapy as a tool to obtain what she wants, Winsome is a red flag character operating to the beat of her own drum. When Randi drops out due to clashing with Marcel and the artist’s daughter character is then written out, the moment ripens for other significant changes to be made. Winsome relishes the praise Marcel bestows upon her, his delight giving her a beacon of hope that modeling could not have granted. 

Cece (Jake-ann Jones) puts on a performance for their street harasser. Di (Renee Jones) looks surprised. Winsome is so stunned, she leaves immediately. DP: Herman Lew.

At Diane’s studio, after Winsome and Cece finish taking still images, Winsome changes out of her clothes with an ordinary ease typical shy girls don’t have. She exhibits comfort levels that evoke a model’s conditioning from the students who saw her body as a form shaped by highlights and shadows. Winsome seems like a girl’s girl when she compliments Di’s necklace, a nymph on a cross, agrees to lunching with Di and Cece, and gushes over Di’s womanist artwork. Once a street harassment goes completely awry, Winsome cries off, echoing Cece’s earlier reaction to undressing around them. This teases Winsome’s ongoing indecisiveness. These cancellations make her an unreliable support system for Cece who needs a stable, unselfish relationship. Although coworkers, Winsome and Cece could no longer stay at a professional level due to Winsome’s underhandedness. 

As Cece struggles to cry on cue, Winsome breaks down in tears. Genuine distress or an attempt to upstage Cece, further impress Marcel? The scene comes across as manipulative. DP: Herman Lew.

Cece learns another valuable lesson in that not every woman has the sister spirit, especially women like Winsome who wields reverse psychology tricks on Cece. Beneath the three fickle phone calls shows an intricate calculation, key details that divulge a clever wool over the eyes of those unfortunately wrapped up in Winsome’s drama within drama. She is prone to humblebrag, nonchalant yet pushing Cece’s buttons, hitting Cece where it hurts, “Elana requires more emotions than you have…” and positioning herself as the better choice.

When Joel misinterprets immensely private pillow talk, it backfires on him. Cece’s refusal of the sudden recast affects the entire production. While Joel faces consequences for mixing business with pleasure, Marcel proves who has the most filmmaking power and Winsome takes a position that she’s clearly wanted. In this act of betrayal, a sister looks so pleased with the outcome of tense events, sits in the very stool much like the one she sat on in Marcel’s office.

All Cece wanted was assurance.

And Winsome guaranteed, “I’m perfect for the spot you made.” 

A gleeful Winsome with Marcel during the film production. DP: Herman Lew.

Furthermore, Winsome neglects to vouch for Cece, saying, “she’ll probably change her mind” to Marcel. Winsome forgets that without Cece’s influence, Elana would not have any depth. Or perhaps deep down, she never cared. Obviously, Winsome held reservations about nudity. She’s also right regarding the whole long, lengthy shooting process. Taking off clothes for a running camera has permanent implications versus a few hours disrobing in front of visual artists whose differing perceptions transforms models between representational to abstract aesthetics. Plus, not all visual artists will become successful and filmmakers even indie makers have the tendency to have cult followings, especially the more risqué a film. For example, Lydia Love’s raunchy work gained a very supportive audience including both Joel and Marcel, two different kinds of men, but men nonetheless. Thus, Winsome wants to retain modesty outside of private classrooms. It doesn’t change the fact that Cece advocated hard for Elana’s agency, convincing Marcel to change what the role required. Winsome saw that script rewrite as a vehicle for herself. It all goes back to Cece struggling to cry and Winsome sobs on the spot, disrupting the pause just to center her abilities. 

Winsome becomes her most fearless during a confrontation with Cece. DP: Herman Lew.

Before this prominent supporting part in Naked Acts,Winsome’s portrayer Sandye Wilson had tiny roles in a Law & Order television episode and Charles Lane’s Sidewalk Stories. Wilson directed two short films, So Many Things To Consider (1996) and notsoprivate (2004)— naturally hard to find. The intriguing tidbit about these Black women films coming from the archives is that most of the actresses in them have few other meaty parts. Black women filmmakers put talented women on, a specialty being unknown actresses which Naked Acts highlights. Just as memorable as the commendable award-winning Jake-ann Jones, Wilson really sank her teeth into Winsome, pouring into a woman who reaped undeserved benefits. The word for her is a solid scene sharer (not scene stealer). 

Again, Naked Acts layers impeccable writing, direction, and acting into an amazing piece rich with concise characters. A good film often incites reaction, a deep introspective. You want to hold Cece through every version of her while shake sense into Winsome and her unseen therapist or share sensuous Lucille Clifton poems with Randi. This powerful narrative is akin to a evocative song that must be repeated for the fear of missing something in its entrancing beat. Every rewatch awakens dormant thoughts that other cinematic works have rarely touched on.