If Beale Street Could Talk

 

If Beale Street Could Talk 2018

• Director: Barry Jenkins
• Seen by this director: Moonlight
• Based on book by James Baldwin
• Cast: Kiki Layne, Stephen James, Regina King, Colman Domingo
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Stephen James – Selma
• Regina King – The Leftovers, Miss Congeniality 2, Ray, Boyz n the Hood
• Colman Domingo – Selma, The Butler, Lincoln
• Why? Music, or so I thought.
• Seen:  11 December 2024.      

       Tish (Layne) is 19, Fonny (James) is 23. He’s in jail for a crime he did not commit, she’s pregnant and they’re not married. But they have been inseparable since early childhood.

       Her family is loving and supportive, his are not except for his dad. It’s not just a love story but a family drama. It’s also a portrait of racism and oppression. The lead actors are appealing and the story is powerful but the slow pace and the heavily romanticised flashbacks are serious flaws. Cutting half an hour would have sharpened the impact. 

3 ½ * of 5