If Beale Street Could Talk

I love Barry Jenkins and I thought his first film Moonlight was an important one that needed to be made. I was eager to see how his follow up film would fare. This one is a love story set in Harlem. Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) are a young couple in love. When Fonny gets wrongfully accused of a crime and lands in jail, Tish scrambles to help him win his case. The young lovers’ families are thrown for a loop when their worlds are upended. It’s equal parts family drama and love story. Jenkins continues his style of slow moving narratives combined with gorgeous cinematography and close ups of faces. Shout out to his DP James Laxton for another beautifully shot film. Wonderful supporting performances from Regina King (who won a Golden Globe for this role!) and Brian Tyree Henry (I feel like Henry got snubbed, his one scene was haunting) top off the stellar cast. The best scene is early on in the film where the two families have a confrontation. The writing is excellent and the actors deliver their lines with a vengeance. A very compelling second film from Jenkins is worth watching.

Film or Movie: Film

You’ll like this film if:
1. You liked the novel If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
2. You liked the style of Moonlight
3. You like love stories