If Beale Street Could Talk

Started by jenkins, December 30, 2018, 03:59:21 PM

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jenkins


jenkins

it's about strength. it's funny because i think some can understand the movie but they can't understand the problem. it's about how you keep going despite whatever, because you have to, keep going, despite whatever. and it might trip some people up that there isn't a more pronounced narrative arc, but i think that's missing out on how much 'whatever' one goes through in life. it's a fuller vision that's not only difficult to write but requires a gifted writer, aka Baldwin, and it takes a gifted filmmaker to do it right, aka Jenkins.

in the future this movie won't be liked less. in the future this movie will be liked more--and it's already being liked. but i'm not sure if it's being liked right.

Alethia

Kicking myself for taking so long to see this! An overwhelming experience from beginning to end. I loved this the way I was supposed to love Moonlight. One of the most vivid and sensuous depictions of love I've ever seen. There are two long stretches in particular, one occurring early on, the other about mid-way, consisting of little more than dialogue and (absolutely stunning) close-ups, that for me ranks as the most electric filmmaking of 2018. And this is easily my favorite score since Phantom Thread.


 

Alethia

Guys! Go see this! More people need to be talking about it!

samsong

responded to this more than i did moonlight but i thought it was far from perfect, made all the more disappointing by how good much of it is and how great the performances are.   regina king gives one of my favorite performances of the year and kiki layne's should thrust her into stardom, though i wasn't thrilled with her voiceover work... blame that more on direction than the actor, though.  there's a lot of directorial self sabotage here.  at worst i found the film to be  distractingly derivative of in the mood for love and wong kar wai's color palette from the 90s.  even the score at times seemed to be stuck in mere mimicry.  that along with the self conscious stylistic flourishes and ramping up of the swoon-factor stunted the emotional impact of the movie, too desperate an attempt to be both poetic and operatic in equally disproportionate measures.  the film is invariably best when it's the most quiet, still, unadorned, where the power inherent to the story and the prowess of the actors are allowed the shine.

eward i wonder if the two scenes you're referring to are the same two i thought were by far the best of the film... SPOILERSthe pregnancy announcement/extended family meeting(s) and the old friend reunion?END SPOILERS

anyway, liked it, it's pretty good as is, but i mourn for the lost potential.  this movie could've, and really should've been tremendous.



Alethia

You guessed it right, those are the two scenes I was talking about. They define my feelings overall for the film. I will definitely be seeing it again though, amendments to come...

Yes

Disappointing. A film that should be expressing emotions yet the aesthetic is mannered and repressed. Stylistic techniques that have been performed better in other films by other filmmakers

Shughes

I wanted to love this more than I did.

I too was disappointed by the voiceover work - it sounded badly recorded and over processed, not to mention poorly performed/directed. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a late decision to add it, and if those moments would have been more effective without it - in most cases the VO replicates the same info as the visuals, or gives backstory exposition, rendering it pretty much redundant.

Some good performances and interesting directorial flourishes. Maybe I'll get more from a second viewing.