If Beale Street Could Talk

If Beale Street Could Talk

Starring KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo

Directed by Barry Jenkins

The Story:
In Harlem in the early 1970s, Tish (KiKi Layne) and Fonny (Stephan James) are childhood friends who've discovered they truly love one another, and want to spend the rest of their lives together.  Things go terribly wrong when Fonny is falsely accused of rape and put in jail, where he finds out that Tish is pregnant.  As Tish, her mother Sharon (Regina King), and the rest of their family try to find a way to free Fonny, Tish relives the encounters they once shared, in hopes of holding her love in her arms again.

The Synopsis:
"Every black person born in America was born on Beale Street, whether in Jackson, Mississippi, or in Harlem, New York.  Beale Street is our legacy."

Author James Baldwin wrote "If Beale Street Could Talk" in 1974, and although it's been 44 years, the message it portrays still rings true.  Giving a voice to the often voiceless, the book - and the film adaptation - tells the story of a young African American couple living in Harlem, New York in the 1970s, and the prejudices and injustices they face strictly due to their race.  Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins adapts the novel to screen in a way that doesn't come across as preachy or heavy-handed, but rather as an all-encompassing circle that slowly closes in around our lovable leads before it threatens to envelop their lives.

"Beale Street" is a rare film in that it doesn't feel like a film at all - it's not a linear tale, and there's no grandiose moments that particularly stand out to make it something of an epic drama adventure - but rather it feels like a natural story, something that could've happened back in the 70s (or even today), a tale that's equal measures hopeful and hopeless, but never leaning too far to one side or the other.  While we get to witness the joys that Tish and Fonny share, it's all done with the apprehensive narrative that it's not all going to be sunshine and lollipops, as we are thrown back to reality in the moments where Tish visits Fonny in jail.  It's a delicate tightrope walk, and both actors excel brilliantly - especially considering this is KiKi Layne's first film ever, and she absolutely lights up the screen.

The film manages to deliver a heavily dramatic tale, but also weaves in some dark humor as well, allowing the audience to relax a bit before being shot back to the reality the movie portrays.  Delivered with impeccable performances, the film is filled with memorable scenes, but to me the one that stood out the most is when Tish confesses to Fonny's heavily-religious family that she's pregnant out of wedlock.  It's funny, until the most shocking moment happens, and done with perfection by the actors on the screen.  It becomes a truly memorable moment that will undoubtedly be mentioned for years to come.

Jenkins once again utilizes his trademark filming style to perfection, showing numerous close-ups of the actors' faces that tell a story all their own.  We see the unbridled love and blissful hopefulness in Tish, the reserved undying love in Fonny, and the heartbreak in Sharon without any of the actors uttering a single word.  In fact, there's a moment where Sharon - played by Golden Globe winner Regina King (who'll most likely earn an Oscar as well) - contemplates putting on a wig, and we witness her simply staring into a mirror without saying a word.  To that end, her performance speaks volumes.

There's several moments the film delivers important messages without using words, and also using them to their perfection.  When Tish is about to reveal her pregnancy to Sharon, she's obviously nervous and worried, but Sharon simply looks at her and asks, "yes, baby?" in a way that's so extremely motherly and caring you can't help but get emotional over it.  Even without saying it, Sharon knew what Tish was going to say - thus is the strong bond the actresses, and characters, share.

More than just a pitch-perfect love story, the film also looks at the injustices African Americans faced in the 1970s, and essentially still do today.  Although it was implausible for Fonny to be in the spot where they claim he raped a girl, he gets railroaded by a racist cop who wants to put him in jail simply because of his skin color.  What the film does so well here is that it doesn't turn Fonny into a superhero, but simply as a flawed person (much like all of us) who has to endure the wrongs he's been handed to him.  The moments where Tish and Fonny communicate through prison glass is also very vital to the story, as it's not heavy-handed or filled with overly dramatic performances, but simply how a loving couple would communicate if given that situation.  Some days he's enraged and yells, other times they're laughing at their shared predicament, and it all feels very real.

To top off this melancholy tale, Jenkins expertly utilizes music in ways that appeal to the senses in a way not done before.  The jazz overtures rise and fall with our protagonists in a way that beautifully tells a story all its own, serving as the cherry on top of this one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

The Summary:
"If Beale Street Could Talk" offers a look into the lives of two people as they fall in love and endure the hatred around them in a way that comes off as very realistic, giving a voice to those who might not have been able to tell their story otherwise.

The Score: A+