Kennedy London, Staff Writer

Coming off of the Academy Award-winning drama “Moonlight,” the next challenge that Director Barry Jenkins faced was adapting the 1974 novel “If Beale Street Could Talk” by acclaimed writer James Baldwin. Considering Baldwin’s work in general is layered and contains deep messaging, for anybody to turn this into a feature film is a tall task. Thankfully, Jenkins creates yet another moving and emotional film that leaves an impact on the audience long after the credits roll.

This movie is about the love story of a pregnant Clementine “Tish” Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James) and the dilemma of clearing Fonny’s name after he is falsely accused of rape in 1970s Harlem. The main cast of characters are rounded out by Sharon Rivers (Regina King), Joseph Rivers (Colman Domingo), Ernestine Rivers (Teyonah Parris), Daniel Carty (Brian Tyree Henry), racist Police Officer Bell (Ed Skrein), and Fonny’s accuser Victoria Rogers (Emily Rios). The story is guided by Tish’s narration and photos of poverty-stricken neighborhoods and examples of injustices committed against African-Americans around the country thanks to the inclusion of photos from photographers like Gordon Parks.

The journey that Fonny, Tish, and their loved ones go through is a testament to the extension of love that can exist within a Black family. Despite the daunting roadblocks that are ahead in order to get Fonny free, the level of warmth that exists leaves the audience with a sliver of hope as the narrative progresses.

The performances from the cast are all excellent. Layne and James both embody these characters with passion and convincing emotion. They convince the audience that despite the hardships that the couple endure, there is a deep-rooted and unbreakable love between them. The scenes containing Fonny and Tish switch between heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Regina King and Brian Tyree Henry are the two standout supporting performances and are the best performances of the entire film. King’s Sharon is a loving and compassionate mother who is willing to achieve anything possible to prove Fonny’s innocence and be Tish’s key support system outside of Fonny. Henry’s lively Daniel serves as a reminder of the weight that is put on African-Americans and his scene is one of the most haunting and memorable scenes of any film in 2018.

The direction by Barry Jenkins is fluid, dense, and very patient. Whether he rests on a particular shot, draws the shot out, or pans the camera around to highlight the importance of small details within it, Jenkins never wastes an opportunity to evoke an emotional response from the audience. He holds the attention of the viewer, never treats them like children, and lets them experience the drama the way it was precisely intended.

The script, adapted by Jenkins, gracefully treats the story with a distinct sense of care and tenderness. Whether it is well-timed humor, serious drama, or outright gut-punching moments, there is never a scene or detail wasted. Jenkins, with the groundwork of Baldwin, always fills the dialogue up with just enough character and world building conversations to make us care about the story and characters that are on-screen.

James Laxton, who was also the cinematographer for “Moonlight” is absolutely marvelous. His work on “Beale Street” draws the audience into the world that Jenkins illustrates and engulfs them in this rich and detailed atmosphere. 1970s Harlem feels alive and crisp while the scenes are filled with intimacy, love, anger, and a captivating sense of grit.

The score by Nicholas Britell is poetic, dreamy, and serves as a transportive tool to get the audience invested in the story. It is sad in the emotional scenes, triumphant in the happy scenes, and flows beautifully between the multitude of emotions the story wants to draw out.

“If Beale Street Could Talk” is a film that not only serves as a test of a young couple’s love and commitment to one another, but also serves as a reminder of the injustices and trauma that black people often suffer through in the United States. Jenkins never softens the constant barrage of blows that are served to black people, but never lets it be the only thing worth saying about us.

Jenkins’ masterpiece is a film that has tenderness, heart, power, and a conscious. The more you watch it, the more you appreciate that there is a kind of filmmaking that shows you the different sides of humanity and how they all coexist and collide with each other. Grade: A+