If Beale Street Could Talk Review

When it comes to love, it takes on many shapes and forms but is it strong enough to endear the obstacles of hardship and injustice.  That lies at the heart of the film adaptation from James Baldwin’s accomplished works called If Beale Street Could Talk, his fifth (technically 13^th book) and the book the accomplished director Barry Jenkins (the compelling, coming of age drama Moonlight) has chosen to adapt for his next film.  Not only featuring the lyrical work of Baldwin and his timeless, powerful words, it also packs a great mix of new to familiar character actors but the focus is squarely on our lovestruck yet tragic couple in a world that is ruled by injustice and hardship.  Does Barry Jenkins succeed in providing another winner in his filmography by showing his clear respect and love for the material being adapted on the big screen?  Let’s dive right into it with the love story from Harlem circa 1970’s, at a time when black people were finally being seen as human beings instead of other defamatory matters.

We follow the couple of Clementine "Tish" Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (Stephan James) throughout different periods of their lives but it starts with them becoming inseparable during their childhood (Young Tish - Milanni Mines and Young Fonny - Ethan Barrett) that lasts even when they are older.  They end up being together and it is a blissful relationship of understanding and love between the lovely couple that becomes serious with their first embrace to finding a studio apartment that becomes symbolic of the future possibilities together.  However. Fonny becomes accused of a violent rape of Victoria Rogers (Emily Rios) that he didn’t commit and is arrested by Officer Bell (Ed Skrein) with Hayward (Finn Wittrock) representing him and his case.  This leads to Tish’s family Sharon Rivers (Regina King), Ernestine Rivers (Teyonah Parris), and Joseph Rivers (Colman Domingo) to have to work on clearing Fonny’s name through desperate, shady means with Fonny’s father Frank Hunt (Michael Beach) upon learning of Tish being pregnant with Fonny’s child at the protest of Mrs. Hunt (Aunjanue Ellis) and her daughters Adrienne Hunt (Ebony Obsidian) and Sheila Hunt (Dominique Thorne).  This becomes a story of ups and downs for this couple and the sacrifices and compromises being made to keep the love they have for each other alive through the reality of life itself.

What elevates this traditional but timeless love story is the poetic, dreamlike quality to the character interactions that provide imagery within the words themselves.  This is attributed to the way Baldwin wrote and Jenkins captures that brilliantly through the performances as well as the cameo scenes who reflect the ideals and themes Baldwin touch upon, regarding race and imprisonment of our humanity as well as a tender exploration of boundless love between the couple.  Time flows non-linearly with the story but it is easy enough to follow Fonny and Tish’s blossoming relationship as well as the Tish’s mother Sharon with her husband trying to find different means to finance Fonny’s investigation and discover the truth behind the crime.  Where the film makes its point clearly is near the end, where it is not resolved cleanly and it results in a choice that relates powerfully to what many falsely accused impoverished people ended up doing tragically.  This lies at the heart of what makes this film tick, the sweetly developed romantic tale mixed with a frustrating yet compelling investigation that echoes the reality of our prejudice and injustice even today that has extended far beyond black people nowadays.

However, there are a few bumps along the way that keep it from being perfect story wise for this film.  Many of the characters are only given one scene to be develop and just disappear, which might seem intentional but when they are performed so well, it is kind of disappointment to see them leave the story completely.  That is the case with Brian Tyree Henry as Daniel Carty, with a fantastic scene regarding the degradation of one’s humanity in prison with Fonny or even Dave Franco as Levy, selling the couple a studio apartment space that truly reflects the optimistic energy the couple emitted effortlessly as examples of truly great scenes with compelling actors and then out of the film completely.  It is a very methodically paced film that relies very much on the cinematic language to convey both storylines, which could alienate those looking for an easier film to watch dramatically.  That is not to discredit what the film does fantastically with Tish and Fonny’s love story in relations to the heartbreaking journey of hardship and injustice that engulfs their lives in relatable ways, compliments of the steady and mesmerizing direction as well as sharply faithful, inspired script work from Jenkins.  

The cast is filled with a great mix of upcoming actors and actresses with recognizable character actors in each of the roles, starting with the leads themselves.  Stephan James is absolutely fantastic in the role of Fonny, bringing to the character a sense of vulnerable openness displaying his love for Tish as well as the emotional torment of being trapped in a place devoid of love.  Kiki Layne is also great as Tish, providing a very closed in but beautifully hopeful woman to the character along with showcasing her changes in a relatable, compelling matter particularly with Regina King as Susan, her mother.  The two of them together have wonderfully affectionate chemistry that makes their romance enjoyable to watch and develop, as well as root for them through the journey they go through around Harlem, NY and in the confines of prison.  They are perfectly casted in these roles and their likable, relatable characters really provide the very core emotions and conflict of the film with gravitas and meaningful drama for a familiar but timeless love story.

The supporting cast is just as stellar and filled with surprising appearance of certain actors/actresses in bit roles as well.  The standout of the supporting cast is Regina King, displaying an inward strength as a motherly character and how she completely commits to the character’s journey for the truth behind the crime that has ruled over Fonny’s life and she is deserving of the accolades and nominations incoming for her remarkable performance.  Many of the actors like Brian Tyree Henry, Aunjanue Ellis, Pedro Pascal as Pietro Alvarez, and Dave Franco all have just one scene or a few different character beats with the lead characters, playing up to their parts and the emotional/humorous character beats they convey in their scenes.  As for the families of the lead characters, they are suitable in their respective roles as fathers and daughters with the small bits of character developments and interactions that add to the overarching theme of hardships and compromises for family.  The entire cast is top notch with the leads driving the film forward importantly as well as a stellar supporting cast with one standout worthy of the praise and accolades for portray an endearing and determined mother searching for the truth.

On the technical side of the film, the noteworthy elements to explore start with the cinematography and editing.  The film was shot by James Laxton, once again showing his prowess in capturing the lyrical, poetic feel of Baldwin’s work through the use of frontal close ups and the mix of vibrant colors of yellow and green to reflect the locations throughout the film.  This is his second film with Jenkins and it is still a winning combination displaying the vulnerabilities of the characters skillfully and compassionately as it was in Moonlight. The editing was done by Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders (more previous collaborators as editors on Moonlight as well) providing a good amount of deliberate pacing and effective contrasts of the shots conveying the tragic desperation of Fonny’s life in prison in the present of the story in conjunction with their blossoming relationship just some time before his arrest.  This interspersed with the compelling music score/soundtrack allows the dialogue scenes really standout from most dramas out there today, along with the emphasis on the switching between scenes of joyful love and life with the raw, truthful reality of life dealing with Fonny’s arrest.  The same level of quality and care in these areas are still top notch, featuring some of the finest shots and engaging editing that made Moonlight so effective visually and narratively.

As this is a period piece, the art direction and costume designs are very prominently handled throughout this film.  The production design was handled by Mark Friedberg and his team with the art team and set decorators pull off the difficult task of replicating New York during the 1970’s, from the rundown apartments to the worn, historical buildings that were still a part of the city during that time. The look of the characters in wardrobe and makeup are very much of the time period, with the lady characters looking the most retro of that time with the lovely dresses used for the film.  From an art design for the whole film, it is absolutely lovely to look at, even during the scenes set in Puerto Rico as well as looking appropriate to the time period in costumes as well as hair/makeup.

Finally, we get to the other astounding technical element that stands out in the sound design involving the musical score and selective soundtrack to reflect the music of the 1970’s.  The score was done by Nicholas Britell is magnificently gently, emotionally affecting, and can reflect tragedy to such an effective level.  Utilizing an intimate Jazz orchestra, he creates a soundscape that reflects that downtrodden yet vibrant atmosphere of Harlem vividly.  There is a unique blend of synth at times with the natural brass sounds to create a very experimental yet fitting sound to some of the pieces, especially during certain monologues that instills the proper emotions for those scenes.  There are also popular tracks used throughout the film from artists like Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Emily King, D’Angelo, and even Steely Dan just to name a few artists with songs that pop up in sync with the scenes featuring their music.  A fantastic, uniquely crafted score with a stellar selection of songs from notable artists of that time really help the visuals bring this love story come to life from the book.

After a stellar breakthrough into fame from the previous film, we waited with baited breath as to what Barry Jenkins would do next and his follow-up continues to showcase his sensitive talent and attention towards displaying humanity in truthful ways.  This adaptation really understands and display the themes of love and Injustice passionately through the fantastic performances from the cast but the ones that make it believable are the leads and Regina King as the standouts of the fantastic cast.  While it does stretch out storylines that end up going nowhere, characters dropping out of the story, and it loses momentum by the second half, the story is still timely, portrays love with warmth and care for that feeling, and it is tested with a tragic set of events that are all too familiar for families and loved ones.  An intimate yet heartbreaking romance that reflects the beauty and horrors of humanity, through the lens of a black writer and filmmaker.

Score: **** out of *****

If Beale Street Could Talk is a refreshingly truthful, intimate romance/mystery story with the powerfully talented and steady direction of Barry Jenkins and his writings to bring the works of James Baldwin to life in this film.  Both lyrically and poetic, he displays these qualities through the visually inspired cinematography along with the parallel storytelling structure at work here, showcasing their love story by the likeable, compassionate performances from the leads along with a committed and steadfast performance from Regina King, supported by a stellar cast of notable character actors/actresses in their respective roles.  It also features some truly astounding dialogue work that echo the ideas and emotions of Baldwin perfectly in his views of love among black people as well as the injustice faced in front of them on a daily basis.  This is supplemented by a uniquely shaped score by Nicholas Britell with a selection of notable artists of that time period to create the soundscape that elevates the material properly.  Despite some pacing issues in the second half with the storylines kind of petering out, many characters dropping in and out of the story, and it does feel stretch out for a relatively straightforward tale of love and injustice, it is the talents of the director along with the hardworking crew and wonderful cast that allows for the film to shine above its faults, to craft a love story that deserves to be appreciated in these dark days of cynicism and reality. 

Sony/Marvel's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Review

With the year ending, Spidey’s universe has gone on a resurgence in media and pop culture after his successful return into film as a part of the MCU in Homecoming, with the fantastic PS4 game celebrating and establishing a game universe for the Web-Head and Venom scoring big all over the world.  Now, his entire universe is making a splash on the animated front with this cross-dimensional, adventure film Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, with many of the creative teams from The Lego Movie as well as 21/22 Jump Street from directors Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman along with Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman as writers.  You would think with the overabundance of Spider-Man related media would feel like a cash grab or cynically made at this point, but that is not the case with this animated adventure that not only captures the heart and spirit of the series/characters well but establishes in a big screen format, Miles Morales as a Spider-Man that belongs in this series more effectively than the sluggish but eventual fandom for the character via comics, TV animated shows, and Insomniac game.  Let’s swing into this multiverse adventure and explore how these Spider-Men and Girl got caught up in this mess.

We are introduced to Peter Parker (Surprise Cameo-C.P.) doing his superhero routine as Spider-Man in a universe where Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) exists and he is headed to a new school away from his family and his Brooklyn roots, egged on with the support of his mother Rio Morales (Luna Lauren Velez) working as a nurse and his father Jeffery Davis (Brian Tyree Henry) an NYPD officer.  Morales deals with trying to fit into a school where he doesn’t feel comfortable being in to, whereas his uncle Aaron Davis (Mahershala Ali) always provides that creative spark through his graffiti work, living on through his nephew.  However, during one night out with his uncle, he is bitten by a radioactive spider and gets caught in the middle of a battle between Spidey and the Green Goblin (Jorma Taccone), trying to shut down the dimensional collider, built by Doctor Kathryn O. (Kathryn Hahn) and financed by Wilson Fisk AKA The Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) to open a rift into another version of New York.  It backfires for everyone and creates a temporal discharge that sends a few unlikely characters to end up in Morales’ dimensional world of New York.

After a promise and tragedy occurs from the incident, Morales is forced to learn how to become Spider-Man only to stumble into Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) who comes from a different world/timeline where he is middle aged, packing a slight beer gut, divorced from Mary Jane Watson (Zoë Kravitz), and does not want to be burden with being a mentor or settle down with kids.  Learning of this, they discovered that anyone that does not belong in a person’s dimension, will start to disintegrate and disappear out of existence.  Not only has a different Peter Parker landed in Morales’ dimension but also a series of different Spidey heroes from Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Peter Porker/Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and Spider-Noir (Nicolas Cage) ended up here as well.  It is up to the team of Spider heroes to team up and use the collider to get back to their respective dimensional homes as well as destroy it before it annihilates everything from existence.

While there are numerous callbacks and homages to previous incarnations of Spider-Man, this is Morales’ story front and center, as the bright yet introverted high schooler caught between being a model student or a creative artist until he has to learn how to become a Superhero.  He is the heart and soul of this story, as we get a remix of his origin story as well as defining how unique he is as Spider-Man from Parker.  Not only that, this is a proper and well-crafted celebration of Spider-Man as a whole, honoring what came before, trending now, and what may drive the series forward into the future.  It also establishes Miles Morales wonderfully as one of the Spider-Man Incarnations that feels well-earned and a proper introduction for those interested in seeing Miles Morales properly adapted for the big screen.  His cast of characters, world, and story arc will truly define Morales not by his race or name but as another Spider-Man for a new generation in this outing.

The other Spider heroes and characters are also fantastic and just as compelling in their small storylines as well as provide larger scale to the overall series, along with providing an evenly dramatic yet campy tone throughout the whole film.  It balances out those moments extremely well, allowing for the heavier, tragic moments to hit hard but also having zany, creative fun with the concept of the multiverse as it is now becoming another story device for future installments of Superhero films in general.  However, it also establishes how different Morales is from the other Spidey heroes, with the emphasis on Brooklyn and the vibrant but underground street culture that exists within the sleek shine of the Big Apple.  This is done through the creative and effective use of hip/hop songs from contemporary artists that are utilized well to showcase Morales identity and world.  Make no mistake, this is a Spider-Man origin story done well for a new character in the mask as well as honoring and paving the way for new possibilities for this series to move forward in animated and live-action form.

Let’s get into the cast, starting with the lead character we follow the most throughout this story named Miles Morales played by Shameik Moore.  He brings to the character a great sense of vulnerability and Brooklyn based style, that resonates throughout his origin story from his introduction to his emotionally satisfying transformation into the webslinger.  His interaction with the other characters always provides for some fun interactions with the Spidey heroes of the other dimensions.  The writing for his character really provides a great origin arc that allows for newcomers to learn about this character and his world, as well as how he fits into the larger Spiderman universe.  He is able to make the character his own from the creatively strong script from Lord and Rothman, along with the compelling and tragic character development that defines this Spider-Man for fans of the characters and new viewers to the character’s story and world.

                          It would not be a Spidey film without the original himself, Peter B. Parker played by Jake Johnson as the very first of the Spider-Man heroes.  He is played and written to be an older, worn out take of the iconic character from years of crime fighting and personal tragedies that have befallen him over time.  He is also the first of the interdimensional Spidey incarnations and yet the most cynical out of the heroes that end up in Morales’ NYC dimension.  As essentially the mentor of the story, he brings a great sense of familiarity to the legacy character as well as establishing a different spin on Parker as an older, jaded adult in contrast to his younger years.  Johnson captures the experienced yet snarky webslinger perfectly with his laidback yet confident performance of the very first webslinger.

We are then introduced to the team of Spider-Heroes from different dimensions both grounded and outlandish.  We have Hailee Steinfeld as Spider Gwen and she is mainly the friend/crush Morales has but she stands on her own as a Spidey, as well as a rounded interpretation of the character if Gwen Stacy was Spider-Woman and not Parker.  Then we have the uniquely anime version of Parker named Peni, with her emotive yet cool robot partner which provides some really inventive action beats for the character.  Then, we have Nicholas Cage as Spider-Noir, who goes for a Humphrey Bogart impersonation that provides some humorous moments and endearing qualities to the character.  Finally, we have comedian John Mulaney playing the parody interpretation of Spidey, Spider-Ham and it provides some truly funny yet clever jokes as well as cartoonish humor that allows for levity at the proper moments in the film.  All of the other Spider-Heroes are truly fun, refreshing, and prove that Spider-Man is more than just Peter Parker.

Let’s get into the rest of the supporting cast, starting with the allies and characters connected to the two Spider-Man’s being Parker and Morales.  Aunt May is played by Lily Tomlin, providing the gadgetry and team foundation for the Spidey heroes while Mary Jane voiced by Zoë Kravitz is perfectly fine as the iconic love interest for Parker.  As for Morales’ family and uncle, with Jeffery Davis (Brian Tyree Henry), he provides a few of the big emotional moments with Miles that are profound and truly define Miles’ characteristics for his Spider-Man.  But the one character that stuck out was Aaron Davis played by Mahershala Ali, whose cool demeanor and ultimately tragic motivation for Miles Morales really conveys how similar but different Morales is in becoming Spider-Man.  Most of the supporting cast really capture the characters from the comics perfectly for the big screen and really matter to the story in meaningful ways.

For the last of the cast, we have the villains of this story, with the prominent and cursory appearance for this adventure.  The Kingpin played by Liev Schreiber is fantastic in the role, with a natural Bronx gruff to this character and has a very compelling yet destructive reason for wanting to join the dimensions together to regain what he had lost emotionally.  There is also a Doc Octopus played by Kathryn Hahn in this universe that happens to be the Morales version of it, providing some standard if fun villainy action and interactions for most of the beats.  We also have The Prowler, a contract killer for hire and does he provide some truly tense action beats as well as a tragic one in relations to Morales’ story.  We also have little moments mainly with the Morales’ version of Scorpion (Joaquín Cosío) and Tombstone (Marvin "Krondon" Jones III) that serve to be nothing more than just goons for the hires to fight.  The cast is filled with a tremendous cast that all fit their parts perfectly and truly make the origin/multiverse tale work.

Finally, let us explore the colorful yet uniquely crafted technical elements of the film starting with the cinematography and editing throughout the film.  This is the one superhero film that embraces and utilizes the look of a comic book come to life, emphasizing on the cell-shaded 2D animation along with the clever use of comic book panels and wording to make this world different from other animated films.  It is a vibrant and beautiful film that relies on its multitude of stylistic traits for each character and blend them together in imaginative ways.  This was edited by Robert Fisher Jr. and the film just moves briskly as well as energetic during the action set pieces by giving many of the characters get a chance to highlight their action abilities throughout the film.  The comic book visual aesthetics as well as the briskly balanced and engaging editing to make this exciting without feeling too long or dull between the comic book style action and the dramatic, character moments.

Next up, the visual art direction and character/costume designs of the cast in general, starting with the look of the NYC in animated form.  The focus is on the graffiti and specialized charter school and the culture that defines Morales’ world in such vivid and colorful ways that make it distinctive to the reliably grounded palettes of the MCU or even the gritty yet world charting look of the recent DC films.  The characters themselves are all differently designed to their respective series but reflect faithfully to the comic books they are adapted from, especially the iconic looks of street wear Miles’ Spidey as well as his full-on Spider suit.  All the other heroes look like their counterpart and are redesigned appropriately to look just right for the animation but the villains all look familiar yet distinctive, particularly using Scorpion’s design from the Morales’ series as well as a unique Kingpin look that comes from the design work of Bill Sienkiewicz from his run of Daredevil, for those interested in learning where his oversized yet powerful figure comes from.  The entire frame and moments in the film are filled with homages, tributes, fan service, and iconic comic book designs that truly makes this Spider-Man universe seem much larger than what we have gotten from the live action films.

Lastly, the sound design and musical score/soundtrack utilized for the film that is just as meticulously crafted as the look of the film.  The sound design really adds to the cartoony, hyper reality of this NYC, particularly how it plays with the action beats coming across as a great mix of pulpy style action with the grounded look of the world they inhabit.  As for the score done by Daniel Pemberton really handles the different tones for the characters extremely well, mixing in the electronic synth scoring with the booming brass instruments along with familiar hip-hop beats and samples to make each theme standout for all of the heroes.  The soundtrack is absolutely a love letter to NYC’s Hip/Hop street culture and historical Brooklyn art, with bands/artists like Post Malone, Swae Lee, Nicki Minaj, Anuel AA, Juice Wrld, Lil Wayne, Ty Dolla Sign, Thutmose and XXXTentacion providing different songs that work in defining Miles Morales and his transformation into this dimension’s Spider-Man.  Sound Design with the score and soundtrack are used effectively throughout this film, adding to the world the story is set in as well as defining this different yet familiar cinematic take on Morales as Spider-Man. 

Which leads us to how it all comes together, and it is one of the pleasant surprises in animated films to be released in quite some time.  This is yet another quality and lovingly crafted Spider-Man adventure since the PS4 game that came out just 3 months ago, created by the same passionate team of The Lego Movie and Lego Batman minus Chris Miller but still showcasing their love for comic books and the Superheroes they have adapted in their films.  It is also one of the most unique, one of a kind visual treat to those that want to see a comic book come to life on the big screen, right down to the comic book panels or annotations of actions (like a scientist getting hit with a bagel as an example!).  All of the actors and actresses really fit the characters perfectly with Johnson and Moore being compelling as the leads and Nicholas Cage really being the show stealer with his take on Spider-Noir.  All of these combinations including the stellar and fitting sound design work, have created the finest and most memorable Spidey cinematic adventure yet.

Score: ***** out of *****

Sony Pictures/Marvel’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a remarkable introduction and establishing origin story for Miles Morales as well as a fun, zany multiverse story done right on the big screen.  With a stellar cast and fantastic script to boot from Phil Lord and one of the 3 directors for this film, they managed to not only adapt each of the characters right but made them just as funny, compelling, and cool to watch as Parker himself (and two of him as well).  The animation style and look is truly a work of art, representing a hyper stylized version of NYC and Brooklyn along with the uniquely designed yet comic accurate depictions of the villains and heroes, from the different art work from comic artists to their character traits from their respective series.  It rides a fine line between campy and dramatic, to really handle it with such a deft touch for the material, that the creative team have proven once again what they are capable of in breathing youthful, creative life into familiar series or properties.  This is one trip worth jumping right into, especially for fans of Spider-Man and the worlds created over the past half century.