Before proceeding I would like to see a show of hands for those of you who took the advice from my last column and watched the You Tube video “old time movie stars dance to uptown funk.” – — – That’s what I thought, some but not all of you did. Put the paper down now and fire up your device to watch this mesmerizing four-minute video. You will be glad you did, and if you don’t, please email me the reason why.
James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, If Beale Street Could Talk, is brought to the screen in an extraordinary adaptation by director Barry Jenkins. The story is set in Harlem in the 1970s and tells the story of two young lovers played by Kiki Layne (Tish) and Stephan James (Fonny). Friends from early childhood their relationship evolves into an enduring and everlasting one. Burdened by the limitations forced on African Americans in that time frame, they stay true to one another. Life, however, becomes complicated when Tish finds out she is pregnant, and before she and Fonny can get married, a serious turn gets in the way.
There are three Oscar worthy performances; two of them are the young lovers, and the third is Regina King, who plays Tish’s mother. There are five or six exceptional scenes scattered through the story, the acting as good as it gets. Director Jenkins brought the best out of his performers, a tribute to his reputation.
If Beale Street Could Talk
Entertainment Rating: See comments
Rating: R, sporadic profanity, several love scenes including some brief nudity
Possible Oscar Nominations: To date this movie has 121 nominations and 64 awards from a variety of organizations including Golden Globes and BAFTA. Most frequent nominations and awards are for Best Movie, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress.
That’s all the good stuff. On the other side of the coin, the movie is slow and at time drags a little too much. Jenkins uses muted lighting and nighttime scenes for most of the story, not sure we saw the sun once, except for a brief interlude well outside of Harlem. As a result, there is a subtle but distinct aura of depression throughout, which only worsens as the story progresses to its ending, which for some might be doubly depressing.
This most likely is and should be a three or four-star movie, and it certainly is for most of the critics. Yours truly can’t highly recommend it, too slow, too dark and too disheartening. I should have gone to see the one about the dog who finds his way home from 400 miles away.
While flipping channels the other night, I came across Thousands Cheer, on Turner Movie Channel. Had never heard of it, but it was a real barn burner especially for those who like song and dance films. It was an old-fashioned MGM musical, and every single singer, dancer, and big time band on their lot were in the film. It was so good I skipped dinner to finish watching it. (and if you know me that means it had to be outstanding). The really bad news is I can’t find it on either Amazon or Netflix streaming. I’m going to check with the Huntley Library to see if they have it. You can buy it from Amazon for $15, and I might just do that; it would be worth it to see it again and share with friends and family.
