Film Reviews & Movie Analysis

Based on the book by the same name by James Baldwin, Beale Street may not be able to talk but we’re still straining our ears anyway, waiting to hear what it might say.

The Synopsis
Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) are going to have a baby. They are both over the moon even though they aren’t married yet. Marriage had been a part of the plan – but being a black man in 1970s Harlem comes at a price, which Fonny has paid. He is told the news of his upcoming fatherhood through a phone, with a sheet of plastic separating him from Tish.

The clock is ticking before the baby arrives, and Tish, her mother (Regina King), her father and her older sister are doing everything they can to get an innocent Fonny out from behind bars. With nobody else on their side, the family sticks and stays together against the violent winds of change that signal an oncoming storm.

The Good
For all intents and purposes; If Beale Street Could Talk is a love story. Despite the racial adversity, the main characters are faced with; that’s just life for them. They don’t let it stand in the way of living and finding love. And so in that vein, it was nice to see a movie about two young black people in love.

Even though the movie has a wide release, it watched like an indie movie. There were a lot of beautiful shots that felt like visual art, and the constant use of characters’ looking directly down the lens of the camera – connecting directly with the audience is something not often explored in the mainstream movie.

Along with the cinematography, other background components that really made the movie what it was, included the costume and the score. In the former’s case, it was interesting because we are never really told what year events are taking place in, but it was obvious through the costume and dialogue.

One of my favourite things about this movie was the non-linear timeline. I liked the idea that time didn’t matter in the story of two people in love. Past, present and future all exist at once, and what anchors everything is their feelings for each other.

The Bad
I can understand that the main character, Tish is nineteen years old, however, the consistency of her doe-eyed naivety got old really quickly.

It seemed like the gravity of the situation didn’t make her grow-up as it should have. She spent a long time being led by Fonny, and then looked after by her parents and the harsh realities of her life didn’t get a chance to penetrate her. I would have liked to see her character grow, adapt, change – all she did was cry.

As much as I liked that it was about love, I will admit that at times it got a little sickly in that I’m probably going to die alone and you’re just out here rubbing all this love in my face, kind of way.

The Novel
You all know by now, I’m that nerd who’s probably already read the book before the movie comes out, or who will slip it on to her To Read shelf just in time. For those who have read the book – or intend to after they’ve watched the movie (do people actually do this?!) here are a few points.

The movie and the film are pretty much identical, even down to the dialogue. For which I am glad as certain texts transcripted to film ended up being so much funnier visually than it was on paper.

The ending in the novel wasn’t as definitive as it was in the movie. And though when I got to the end of the book I craved a more solid ground to stand on, after watching the movie I instantly took it back! Talk about the grass is greener.

The Conclusion
If Beale Street Could Talk was a good movie and an uncanny adaptation of the James Baldwin novel of which it was based. Though it felt a little dragged out at times it had a lot of heart and a killer score to match.

The closed perspective it was told from was beautifully unique and it chose not to spiral into a story about hate bred from inequality. It allowed the audience to get there for themselves while the movie took the stance of optimism and love. It may not conquer all but it keeps hope alive. (That was such a good line, you can feel free to quote me on that!)