Movie Breakdown: If Beale Street Could Talk
Pre-Screening Stance:
If Beale Street Could Talk is Berry Jenkins’ followup to Moonlight. From what I gather, if a director has a Best Picture-winning film on their LinkedIn profile, you’re legally required to be interested in whatever they craft next.
Post-Screening Ramble:
If you’re wondering whether or not If Beale Street Could Talk is better than Moonlight, I’ll just go ahead and let you know the answer to that right off the bat – it’s not. Moonlight is a stunning, emotionally impactful effort, and If Beale Street Could Talk just doesn’t quite get to that same level. With that being said, Barry Jenkins’ latest is still a fantastic film! It’s visually lush, which further proves that Jenkins has an amazing eye and always knows the most interesting spot to place the viewer during a scene. I think he also does a fantastic job here of telling the sweet but unfortunate story of Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) while also deftly addressing family dynamics and social issues. What lightly trips up the film though is its pace, especially in the last act. Jenkins deliberately lets things slow burn, which makes sense in such a dialogue-heavy drama, but I got restless in that final stretch of the movie. And sure, perhaps that was the point. Maybe I was supposed to feel the anxiety, the hopelessness of Tish and Fonny’s situation, but I wasn’t exactly there. Instead I’m here noting that I could have done with a slightly quicker trot to the finish line.
If Beale Street Could Talk will certainly get a Best Picture nomination. You should see it.
One Last Thought:
All of the performances in If Beale Street Could Talk are notable, but I really feel the need to give Colman Domingo, who plays Tish’s father, Joseph, a big shout out. He brings such a huge amount of sincerity to the role that I found myself wanting to sit down with the character and shoot the shit while drinking whisky after whiskey. Too bad he’s a super long shot to get a Supporting Actor nomination.
