If Beale Street Could Talk
Angel Films | Release Date: December 14, 2018
7.1
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Generally favorable reviews based on 164 Ratings
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Negative:
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6
richardradJan 6, 2019
"If Beale Street Could Talk” grabs you by the throat and never lets go. And that's a problem. The film is about 30 minutes too long. The music, which could have been terrific, was surprisingly pedestrian. That said, the acting is first-rate"If Beale Street Could Talk” grabs you by the throat and never lets go. And that's a problem. The film is about 30 minutes too long. The music, which could have been terrific, was surprisingly pedestrian. That said, the acting is first-rate and story is deeply compelling. A young African-American man is convicted of a crime he didn't commit in Harlem, New York during the 70s, while his pregnant fiancee and her mother fight fiercely to prove that he didn't do it. Sadly, there is no nuance here. We are commanded by the director to be outraged, and we are. But where is the dance of life and the mystery of what brings two souls together in such a passionate embrace. I want to read James Baldwin's novel. I'll bet it's a lot better than the movie.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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5
TheWayfarer73Mar 11, 2019
This movie started so powerfully and I couldn't help myself from wanting more of it, but by the 2nd act I didn't care about the characters anymore. Visually looked great but the 2nd and 3rd acts left much to be desired.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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5
Rebecca31Feb 24, 2019
Set in 1970s Harlem, a love story between Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo Hunt aka Fonny (Stephen James). Their lives are torn apart when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Soon after Fonny's arrest 19-year-old TishSet in 1970s Harlem, a love story between Tish Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo Hunt aka Fonny (Stephen James). Their lives are torn apart when Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit. Soon after Fonny's arrest 19-year-old Tish discovers she is pregnant with his child. With the help of their families they now must do everything in their power to prove Fonny's innocence.

Director Barry Jenkins creates another powerfully emotional story, it's just if we're comparing films here Moonlight is without a doubt far superior. Sometimes a film's plot moves so painfully slow when it's time to make a statement it's too late because the audience has already fallen asleep. No I didn't love If Beale Street Could Talk, the story moved much too slow for me and I found myself losing interest. The score by Nicholas Britell is just as spectacular as the Moonlight soundtrack. A gorgeous soundtrack that I'm still listening to and if it doesn't win the Oscar for Best Original Score I'll be very surprised. But even with the score, the cinematography and the acting everything seemed unnecessarily dragged out. I didn't feel every scene needed to linger so long, it lost its effect and eventually the whole film felt like it was moving in slow motion. Let me be clear that this film isn't for everyone, if you like the look of the trailer then it's recommended.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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4
netflicJan 7, 2019
This movie was supposed to be about love. But it is mostly about racism.
And it is a very racist movie. I was hoping it would be an intelligent and nuanced film similar to "Moonlight". What a disappointment! It has nice cinematography, prettyThis movie was supposed to be about love. But it is mostly about racism.
And it is a very racist movie. I was hoping it would be an intelligent and nuanced film similar to "Moonlight". What a disappointment! It has nice cinematography, pretty faces, mundane script and lots of stale stereotypes.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
foxgroveFeb 21, 2019
Punctuated by some amazing scenes (An early celebration turns violent; the couple menaced by a racist cop)that are very well written and acted, the film is ultimately undone by too many others (Two male friends discussing prison) that arePunctuated by some amazing scenes (An early celebration turns violent; the couple menaced by a racist cop)that are very well written and acted, the film is ultimately undone by too many others (Two male friends discussing prison) that are protracted and uninteresting. One's investment in the story soon dwindles and even admiration for technical achievements (Cinematography; editing; music)diminishes as the film finally limps in at nearly two hours. Also, it has to be said that Regina King's performance (Oscar! Really!) must be one of the most over rated for years. She's fine, but that's it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
Bertaut1Mar 4, 2019
Beautifully shot, but emotionally languid

Based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk is aesthetically faultless, but much like writer/director Barry Jenkins's previous film, Moonlight (2017), theBeautifully shot, but emotionally languid

Based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, If Beale Street Could Talk is aesthetically faultless, but much like writer/director Barry Jenkins's previous film, Moonlight (2017), the totality is considerably less than the sum of its parts. The biggest problem is the love story. Employing a Terrence Malick-esque esoteric voiceover, Jenkins lifts entire passages directly from Baldwin. However, what reads beautifully in the novel is badly out of place in the film, even in voiceover, and has the effect of rendering the two central characters unrealistic, with their love for one another idealised to such an extent as to become ridiculous.

New York, 1974; 19-year old Clementine "Tish" Rivers (KiKi Layne) and 22-year old Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James) are in love, and planning to get married. However, when Fonny is accused of rape, the victim mistakenly identifies him in a line-up, and he is charged and detained. Awaiting his trial, Tish visits him in jail, telling him she is pregnant, and promising she'll do whatever it takes to get him out before the birth. With this as the central framework, the story is told in a non-linear style, jumping back and forth from one time period to another.

This non-linear structure has an important thematic effect; we know from the second scene that Fonny is in jail, meaning that as we watch Tish and Fonny planning their future, there's a shadow over everything. For the most part, this contributes to the tone of the film. However, Jenkins overuses the technique. I understand why the film is told out of sequence, but not to the extent it is. Compare this with Sean Penn's The Pledge (2001), a linear narrative where he accomplishes the same thing with one out-of-sequence scene at the start of the film. Beale Street, on the other hand, jumps all over the place, never settling into a rhythm, with the cumulative effect one of distraction rather than immersion.

Aesthetically, much like Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk looks amazing. From James Laxton's vibrant cinematography to Caroline Eselin's colour coordinated costume design, everything we see rings true, and much like Moonlight, the influence of Kar-Wai Wong is paramount; seen in the non-linear narrative and relatively slight plot, the poetic tone, the centrality of music, and the tendency to use visuals rather than dialogue to convey thematic points.

As in both Medicine for Melancholy (2008) and Moonlight, Jenkins occasionally has characters speak directly to camera. They're not breaking the fourth wall, however. Such scenes are dialogue scenes, with the camera between the characters. It's a technique that was used most famously in The Silence of the Lambs, where each character looked into camera when speaking to Clarisse, whereas she always looked just slightly off-camera, setting up a fascinating visual contrast which encourages us to identify with her. Beale Street doesn't do anything as interesting or subtle with the technique, but Jenkins's tendency to use it during moments of heightened emotion does suture us into the milieu of the film.

However, a serious problem at the film's core is the love story, wherein Fonny and Tish just don't seem like real people, not in the way they gaze into one another's eyes as if they are seeing each other for the first time, not in the way they speak to one another as if every syllable is of earth-shattering portentousness. They rarely speak normally; instead, they adopt the eloquence of James Baldwin. In lifting sections directly from the novel, Jenkins forgets that what works on the page, doesn't necessarily work on the screen, and the reproduction of Baldwin's rich and lugubrious prose is simply unrealistic, with the delivery sounding stilted and awkward, and, most egregiously, far beyond the lexicon of the characters.

Another problem concerns the depiction of Bell (Ed Skrein), the racist cop who frames Fonny. Played as a leering pantomime villain, with bad hair, bad teeth, and bad skin, he's obviously a metaphor for the ugliness of racism, but he's so completely over the top, it rips you right out of the film. On the other hand, Regina King's portrayal of Tish's mother, Sharon, is exceptional.

Beale Street is an undeniably beautiful film that depicts the love between two astonishingly attractive people (it's worth noting that in the novel, Fonny's unattractiveness is emphasised). However, Jenkins's interpretation turns Fonny and Tish into a Ken and Barbie-esque couple. Taking a meditative approach to the material, Jenkins's adaptation never rings true. Whereas Baldwin's Tish and Fonny are flawed, contradictory, and relatable, Jenkins's protagonists are too-perfect-to-be-real, with every agonisingly serious pronouncement they make to one another pushing them further and further away from connecting with the audience on an emotional level.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
QhasiFeb 5, 2019
I need to find the book and read it. I know for a fact that it's far better than this film. I struggled through it, hoping that there was some smash of an ending. Instead I was bored stiff. The movie is not as bad as it could have beenI need to find the book and read it. I know for a fact that it's far better than this film. I struggled through it, hoping that there was some smash of an ending. Instead I was bored stiff. The movie is not as bad as it could have been though. The saddest part is that it was just a skip and a hop and a slightly better script away from being great. Kudos to the cast though. They were mesmerizing.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
bataguilaJun 5, 2019
Aburrida. No se merece el oscar la que ganó, solo salió 10min. Lo unico bueno es el vals de la peli
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
Joshua_GMar 2, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beale Street is a movie with a decent (if not particularly original) premise, a stellar cast and a strong cinematic look that is let down by BIG pacing issues and rambling plot-line, full of underdeveloped characters. Positives:
- Some excellent acting
- Shot beautifully
- Wardrobe feels authentic and eye catching
- Great original soundtrack
- Makes (some) strong political points Negatives:
- Very slow paced (to no positive effect)
- Meandering story line and full of scenes which go nowhere
- Numerous one dimensional characters
- Clumsy handling of political issues
- Some of the most dull sex scenes I've ever seen in a movie (despite to beautiful leading actors) The film clearly wants to send a message about the injustice of American race relations but seems to lack any care for a balanced view. The white cop is a sneering, greasy, scum bag who has little to no dialogue and his motivations for framing 'Fonny' are never made clear. This makes the films message of racial injustice and unfair discrimination feel somewhat hollow and hypocritical.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
DawdlingPoetNov 27, 2021
This is a somewhat sobering watch - gritty and thought provoking, in terms of dealing with racism and making you imagine how people of colour felt when dealing with clear social injustices. Its a bit slow, plot pace wise and maybe a bit tooThis is a somewhat sobering watch - gritty and thought provoking, in terms of dealing with racism and making you imagine how people of colour felt when dealing with clear social injustices. Its a bit slow, plot pace wise and maybe a bit too dour for some but the music is quite good, with a bit of poignancy present, so its ok. I wouldn't actively recommend it as such, no.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
D_M_NonceNov 9, 2019
Proposal
---------
a) Read Baldwin's novel;
b) Watch Jenkins' film;
c) Judge for yourself how well the film translates the novel.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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