If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)- BFI London Film Festival 2018

Review

119min

Genre:       Crime, Drama, Romance

Director:    Barry Jenkins

Cast:         KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King…and more

Writers:     Barry Jenkins and James Baldwin

-Synopsis-

A nineteen-year-old and her family struggle to prove the innocence of her falsely accused and incarcerated young fiancé, before their unborn child comes into the unjust world, in this socially reflective 1970s Harlem human tale and meditation on race in America from the director of ‘Moonlight’, based on the James Baldwin novel.

After capturing the imagination of the global film industry with his lyrical and poetic human drama and unconventional coming-of-age story ‘Moonlight’ in 2016—not to mention capturing the world’s attention during the Academy Awards debacle which eventually saw him awarded the best picture Oscar—Miami filmmaker Barry Jenkins returns with his third and arguably most beautiful and nuanced film to date, applying his cinematic artistry to James Baldwin’s depressingly timely 1974 tale of young love, family, and being black in America.

KiKi Layne stars as African-American youngster and Harlem girl ‘Tish Rivers’, pining for better days with her true love ‘Fonny Hunt’ (Stephan James) as they tried to make their way in the world, before a false accusation of rape and a corrupt racist system locked him up. As she toils with revealing her pregnancy to her parents ‘Sharon’ (Regina King) and ‘Joseph’ (Colman Domingo)—not to mention Fonny’s judgemental parents—Tish and her mother struggle to prove Fonny’s innocence, while he grapples with retaining his humanity whilst in a cage . . . all for the sake of the new life they bring into the world.

When it comes to bridging the gap between the ugly and the beautiful face of humanity with cinema, Barry Jenkins is showing signs of real mastery, particularly from an African-American perspective, taking it a step beyond the achievements of his Oscar-winning second picture by displaying even more subtlety and tenderness, applying layers of emotion, humanity and self-reflection to  Baldwin’s story of young romance and race-based injustice—which remains almost as relevant forty-five years on.

‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ also succeeds as a multi tonal human drama, featuring some truly delicate and genuine moments of passion between young lovers, without descending into banal sentimentality, but also displaying darker shades of desperation and resignation, particularly in an unforgettable heart-to-heart scene featuring the very busy Brian Tyree Henry as a friend recently released from prison. But the film also boasts its share of charm and even humour, encapsulated by an early ensemble scene which proves one of the more memorable uncomfortable family gatherings in recent cinema history.

Jenkins delivers his subtle ode to young love and the daily struggle against injustice—whose title refers to a legendary Tennessee (but spiritually New Orleans) street which symbolises every black neighbourhood in America—in non-linear narrative style, jumping back and forth between Tish and Fonny’s burgeoning relationship and the struggle after his incarceration, a trial for both the expecting couple and their doting matriarch Sharon.

As we have come to expect from a Barry Jenkins picture the film is as beautiful stylistically as it is in spirit, stylishly shot and blessed with the meticulous production deigns needed to recreate bustling 1970s New York—but it’s even more impressively scored by composer Nicholas Britell (Moonlight, Vice), who combines a sumptuous soundtrack of orchestral string pieces with cool, often melancholy jazz, even flirting with film noir at times, all of which creates a rich and soulful sonic experience.

All the performances on show are honest and tone-perfect, with the two young leading lovers delivering nuanced and delicate portrayals which will fracture your heart, as KiKi Layne gives a star-making turn while Stephan James builds on his experiences starring in racially-charged sport dramas to take his career to a new level. The film’s two young stars are admirably supported by an array of talent, including of course Regina King’s Oscar-nominated turn as the supportive and fiercely loyal mother, plus Colman Domingo as the dedicated father and the aforementioned Brian Tyree Henry, whose few scenes are completely defined by his brief but impactful appearance.

With ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’, Barry Jenkins exceeds the recent work for which he was so heralded, and cements himself as one of the most stimulating young filmmakers to watch, and one of the most artistically mature too, doing justice to the work of a celebrated American social commentator with a beautiful and lyrical human drama which will stir the soul and open the mind. And in an era of diversity and hunger for greater minority representation in the industry, he ticks many boxes, while raising the standard of the checklist . . . and the industry.

The Bottom Line…

A rich and tender tale of young love, a soulful and timely period story of injustice, and a nuanced meditation on being black in America, ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ proves a beautiful and masterfully crafted human drama with plenty of heart but little sentimentality, held up by praiseworthy performances all around—solidifying the already glowing reputation of its hugely promising young director.

‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ is out on the 8th of February 2019 in UK cinemas, and out now in the US.

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