If Beale Street Could Talk

Every black American is born in Beale Street. It’s the birth place of Louis Armstrong and jazz. If Beale Street could talk it would have some remarkable tales to tell. There would be tales of success, but the tales of love, racial prejudice and injustice would be the narratives that would be the most profound. The many examples of innocent black men incarnated for their crimes is numerous and forms the back bone of Barry Jenkins’ remarkable second feature. Based on James Baldwin’s novel, If Beale Street Could Talk is about Tish and her husband’s family desperate attempts to secure the release of her husband (and father of her child) from prison for a crime he did not commit.

Quite how Barry Jenkins would follow a Best Picture Oscar winner (the way the film won the Oscar was as remarkable as the film itself) was greatly anticipated. He followed it up with a film just as emotionally resonant and profoundly engaging. He once again uses the same actor speaks to camera technique that makes us feel we are more than simply watching another person’s story. It’s something much more. The pain and torment of the two central lovers being separated from each other is plain for all to see and the blissfulness of the first few months of love is felt from the dreamlike cinematography and the every emotion registered on the character’s face.

The central romance of the lifelong friends is gloriously written, and the performances of Kiki Layne and Stephan James are intimately low key - more relying on facial movements rather than dramatic performances to convey emotion. The way the film follows their romance like a fond and cherished memory does so much to ensure their romance is a strong anchor that makes the whole situation so devastating. Yet such is the importance of the relationship of central couple, the film isn’t solely about their relationship with each other. It’s about the relationship between black kids and their parents, and the parents’ fear that there is a limit to how much they can protect them from injustice.

The central paring between Kiki Layne and Stephan James is exceptional and their tender chemistry perfectly captures their love for each other. They are well supported also. Each performer has their moment (especially Regina King) and even those outside the family get their moment. Ed Skrein oozes menace as the racist cop and Emily Rios is incredibly empathic as the rape victim coerced into falsely accusing Alonso of rape (it’s a role that, in a less skilled and sensitive hands, could have painted her as something other than a victim).

As integral as the love story is it’s a story about injustice. It’s a story about a family torn apart from a false accusation and a legal system hell bent on working against truth and justice. Working against a system where racial bias and prejudice is ingrained into its core to a great struggle and it’s depressing and infuriating to watch the film with the knowledge that Alonso will always be branded a rapist by law. The impact this false accusation, and Alonso’s resulting incarceration, has on the family unit is great, and the pain it causes and the problems it causes in the future (lack of a male role model for black children is an issue) is wide ranging.

If Beale Street Could Talk is an intensely political film (much more so than Moonlight). The black and white images show the poverty and police brutality suffered by black people, and story of injustice is met with outrage and heartbreak. The score is hauntingly romantic, and the production design makes the era the film is set feel alive. How do you follow up a Best Picture winner? With a film just as remarkable, but one the academy didn’t see fit to nominate.

4.5/5