'If Beale Street Could Talk' Review

Nominated For: Best Supporting Actress; Regina King, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

Won: Best Supporting Actress; Regina King.

In early 1970s Harlem, daughter and wife-to-be Tish vividly recalls the passion, respect, and trust that have connected her and her artist fiancé Alonzo Hunt, who goes by the nickname Fonny. Friends since childhood, the devoted couple dream of a future together, but their plans are derailed when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. 

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins as his follow-up to the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk is based on the acclaimed James Baldwin novel. Jenkins actually wrote both screenplays around the same time while on a trip to Europe and received authorization from the Baldwin estate to adapt If Beale Street Could Talk while filming Moonlight. Now, if Jenkins' passion for the source material somehow doesn't come across onscreen, I can personally vouch that the man makes an excellent case for caring deeply about it in person. I don't say this to brag about attending a screening in which Barry Jenkins was in attendance for a Q&A afterward, but because his genuine care and attention for these characters, this story, and even the novel itself would have been quite evident to me regardless of whether I'd met the man or not. It just so happens that I had an excellent opportunity to see him express his affection for Baldwin's work myself, and it was crystal clear that Baldwin's words struck a chord with him. 

In Jenkins' third feature, he sought to explore the purest form of love and how it perseveres through unbridled tragedy while also addressing racial injustice. Told non-sequentially with deft, wistful guidance from Jenkins, Tish reminisces over the past, sharing treasured memories and melancholy moments alike. Yellows and greens can often be glimpsed in the lighting, costuming, and set dressing to reflect Tish's blissful state throughout her untroubled experiences. As a result, If Beale Street Could Talk resembles a cinematic diary of sorts, offering an intimate window into Tish's life. The film is breathtakingly beautiful with idyllic imagery abound, and audience members will certainly swoon over Nicholas Britell's sumptuous score, James Laxton's splendid cinematography, and the other fine camerawork on display.  

The camera movements in If Beale Street Could Talk are very steady and controlled yet free-spirited in a sense. There was one overhead shot at the start of the film in particular which astounded me as it swiveled and swooped above the young, content couple. But Jenkins never finds himself lost in the complacency of crafting an alluring image. Tragedy inevitably strikes, and when it does, the color palette shifts to darker tones and the cheery atmosphere sours as the audience is once again faced with the harsh, unfair nature of reality. While systemic injustice is a through-line in If Beale Street Could Talk, Jenkins isn't demanding riots and violent action against the system... He's presented a level-headed acknowledgment of the persisting racial injustice in hopes there may eventually be a level-headed solution. For the time being, audiences will be faced with a soul-crushing truth they may have turned a blind eye towards. 

Meanwhile, Stephan James and newcomer KiKi Layne share an unshakable connection as Tish and Fonny. Every tender moment between the two is blissful, poetic, and brimming with passion. You truly believe that these two have known each other for their entire lives and the two leads each demonstrate remarkable range amidst the trials and tribulations of their relationship. As their situation worsens, their profound love for one another deepens. 

The supporting cast consists of the couple's family played by Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Parris, Michael Beach, Aunjanue Ellis, Ebony Obsidian, and Dominique Thorne. Of the bunch, Regina King stands out most and has justifiably garnered lots of love amongst regional critics groups that hopefully will carry over to an Oscar nomination. She shows herself to be resilient and compassionate, poignantly walking the fine line between the two. Otherwise, I'll say Brian Tyree Henry has had a stellar year as an actor between starring in If Beale Street Could Talk, Widows, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse. His screen time is fleeting, but the monologue he delivers is very powerful.

Following up a Best Picture winner is a lofty ordeal (especially when it will go down as one of the most infamous wins in the Academy's history), but Jenkins has done so gracefully and delivered a wonderful heart-aching adaptation. It's a timeless tale which reminds us never to lose hope in the face of adversity. While things may not turn out how we'd like, pure love will persevere. Above all, If Beale Street Could Talk is about an unconditional love that can't be broken. 

Film Assessment: A

'Moonlight' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Director; Barry Jenkins, Best Supporting Actor; Mahershala Ali, Best Supporting Actress; Naomie Harris, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor; Mahershala Ali, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Moonlight follows the coming-of-age story of a reserved youngster who gets bullied on a day-to-day basis and his search to discover himself. Moonlight is similar to the vein of Boyhood where it seeks to explore making a path for yourself but a little less gimmicky considering Moonlight didn't take twelve years to make (and if you click on the Boyhood hyperlink, you can visit my original review that was actually one of my first and see how far my reviews have come... I plan to revisit those down the line in some Recollection Reflection Reviews). 

Barry Jenkins writes and directs Moonlight based on the screen story penned up by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney that splinters Chiron's life into three parts entitled "i. Little", "ii. Chiron", and "iii. Black" in correspondence to how he identifies himself at that respective stage of life. Jenkins manages to put forth a screenplay that doesn't share too much information with the audience, leaving them the responsibility to infer and fill in blanks and gaps left in Chiron's story, but also walks the fine line of showing significant events that aren't cliché and how those shape Chiron. 

Cinematographer James Laxton utilizes some great hand-held camera work and luminescent lighting to capture picturesque images that fit Chiron's story like a glove with both intensity and intimacy while Nicholas Britell's sweeping orchestrations paired with vulgar pop songs also hit the mark of auditorily juxtaposing Chiron's blissful and visceral experiences. 

Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, and Trevante Rhodes each portray Chiron in different phases of his life as Little, Chiron, and Black respectively and each manages to bring a slightly different take on the same character that remains true to Chiron as he's grown. Hibbert plays the shy child, Sanders gets to grapple with teen angst and emotional instability, and Rhodes puts up a hardened exterior that's been built up by childhood trauma but underneath that maintains the soft-spoken demeanor of Little and Chiron's sensitivity. Each actor adds another layer on top of the younger predecessor's work amounting to complex showing from young talent (Hibbert and Sanders) and incredible turn from Rhodes.

The film's supporting cast bestow a solid foundation for the three actors playing Chiron including Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome, and André Holland as the father figure and neighborhood crack dealer, sweet supportive mother figure, troubled mother, and three phases of the love interest respectively. Ali in particular stands out and I wouldn't be surprised to see him scoop an Oscar nomination for his work here.

Moonlight is certainly a well-made character study and performance piece that thoroughly examines identity, development, and black culture, but didn't personally resonate with me, and as a result, I was neither invested in the characters or the story at hand. Moonlight will likely appeal to a wide audience who find common ground with the protagonist, but the film's simply wasn't my cup of tea.

Film Assessment: B