If Beale Street Could Talk, this film shows the flow back and forth, the first is a flashback to the lives of Fonny and Tish, two lovebirds who had been close from childhood, formed friendships and then found themselves in love. They began to pioneer their future together, from planning to get married to having a more suitable place to live. Then there is a plot forward here, which tells of the effort to free Fonny for a crime she did not commit, before the child in the womb was born. Tish’s brother and father, Joseph and Fonny’s father, Frank also tried to raise money in any way to pay the costs of an idealistic lawyer who was willing to accompany Fonny. Meanwhile, Tish Sharon’s mother tried hard, even taking a long journey to find evidence and testimony that could free her prospective daughter-in-law.
This is a beautiful film, but it still weighs. This film humanizes black men in a way that the media or similar theme films, often, do not do. We can see Fonny as a loving, caring lover, and Joseph and Frank as devoted fathers who will do anything and even criminal things for their family. None of them are idealized or shown sinless like other racism-themed films, but it makes them all seem more sympathetic. The film also shows the strength that a black woman needs to survive in an area where racism is still “trendy”, when Tish begins to grow steel in his spine, and Sharon goes to war in the most dignified, cautious, and most female way. show this film also talks about feminism. The most important thing is, this film shows the impact of not only one thing, namely racism but also the system of prejudice, injustice, and the economy that is always present in the middle to lower classes.
Jenkins as wisely as can not be separated from the back camera team who worked very well on the previous project. MOONLIGHT cinematographer James Laxton somehow managed to inject a beautiful reddish-yellow light into the underground apartment of Tish and Fonny, giving the film a glittering memory and warm summer that reflected the hopes of the two protagonists. And composer Nicholas Britell, with his jazz-nuanced music so haunting the film, lightly piercing emotions without making them appear overwhelming. Best Movie Site
As a black man in America, Fonny was a victim of a system that was cruelly orchestrated against him and Jenkins plied that anger into his film without pressure. Anger over unbearable injustice is then replaced with sadness over an unbearable loss, from failing to be an artist, husband and father, there is also a stinging feeling when Fonny falls. But after all that has happened there remains optimism and confidence in the power of restorative love.
The film is set in the 1970s but the nuances presented seem too contemporary, this is strong, but does not seem to justify itself. That resulted in the nuance of never reaching its lowest point. Then Jenkins’ love of material also unfortunately became a negative side, which is often it obscured his vision. He has talked about his desire to remain loyal to the Baldwin manuscript, Tish’s dialogue adapted by Jenkins himself, sometimes successful but sometimes also a little dense and novelistic, he seems to not want to erase too much of the prose created by Baldwin, but that too appears lyrical. And that’s really good, actually, however, the dialogue feels too long-winded, and too structured for the size of a film. That makes pace slow. Most unconventional structures that work successfully can sometimes feel a little out of focus, with some scenes failing to land with the proper impact of a collision. This also had an impact on the actual duration which could be further shortened, even though the characters displayed made me feel at home with them. Movie Review
But the minor things seemed remedied because Jenkins remained a visual artist who continued to develop. The film is very beautiful, each frame is arranged beautifully and every song choice is seen to fit the scene shown. With a broader canvas and a bigger budget than what he had for MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins has created a film that is rich with an increasingly attached image, without feeling too stylish.
Kiki Layne appeared quite promising in this film, and it seems from here she will begin to be known. And despite its own shortcomings, but the monologue that is displayed also has its own interesting side. But Regina King, oh, she’s amazing as Tish’s mother. Sharon is shown as a tough mother, who is willing to do anything for the integrity of the family, including Fonny who is considered a family. The scene where Tish tells her that she is pregnant shows that Sharon is a stoic mother and knows what to do when she finds out the difficult reality. Instead of being self-protective as Fonny’s mother did, she became a new pillar for her child, not only that, she also invited other children to participate and her husband who was initially doubtful. Not to mention the captivating solo act. No doubt Barry Jenkins and James Baldwin have given birth to the strongest characters this season, and Regina King presented it very well too. Men also do not want to lose, Stephan James appears so charismatic but also sensitive when his pride as a man is disturbed, and the face full of suffering will melt in your memory. While the supporters also performed well. Michael Beach appeared attractive in his criminal sitcom with Colman Domingo as Tish’s father and Brian Tyree Henry, who delivered a gruesome narrative about the reality of the prison at that time that was very prominent and quite stunned. In terms of cast If Beale Street Could Talk … champion. Top Movie
Overall, this film is quite satisfying. Although it does not have the same impact as its predecessor, MOONLIGHT, Barry Jenkins still shows his ability to process stories along with interesting character parade studies coupled with beautiful visuals and camera techniques, even though the duration is too long to be its own shortcomings. The overwhelming feeling is love, both the type of romanticism that can endure great hardships and the kind of family that supports and protects their valuable possessions. The biggest tragedy of this film is the fact that love alone is not enough to protect us completely from the cruelty of the world, and that such trials can even be caused from the beginning. Barry Jenkins will make us fall in love with his two main characters and then throw them at the cruelty of a world that is like living hell, making us want to take action and help them get through the trials they face.