Director: Barry Jenkins
Screenplay: Barry Jenkins, based on the novel If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Beach, Emily Rios, Ed Skrein,
Running Time: 118 minutes
Genre: Drama, romance
New York City, 1970s: Clementine "Tish" Rivers (Layne) and Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (James) are a young couple in love. Fonny is arrested on suspicion of rape, and Tish discovers that she is pregnant with Fonny's baby. Tish and her family struggle to prove Fonny's innocence before the child is born.
This is a very faithful adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel, and retains the books non-linear structure moving between past and present, with numerous flashbacks depicting Fonny and Tish's relationship. As with Barry Jenkins' previous film, the award-winning Moonlight (2016), this is a beautiful film, with a real visual poetry which blends with the poetry of Baldwins' prose to create a powerful experience. The film has some fantastic performances, with the actors frequently filmed straight on looking into the camera and communicating almost more with subtle expressions and glances than with dialogue. Despite being a lush, powerfully romantic film, it also has the anger and grit of Baldwin's novel. It's a great film, that will break your heart and make you angry.
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