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In fact, it's really not either of those things. It's a simple story, really: a woman (Emayatzy Corinealdi) fights and waits for her incarcerated husband (Omari Hardwick) to be up for early release so they can resume their life together. One complication, among a couple, is when the bus driver on her route (David Oyelowo) starts digging her.
Sounds like the recipe for some tawdry "hood" business, right? It's not. This movie is a thoughtful meditation on a black woman in South Central Los Angeles who finds herself in a position that many black women often do: keeping the home fires lit while the man is away, either locked up, dead, or lost to the streets. Sounds like the recipe for some gritty, "keepin' it real" business, right? It's not. But the mood and emotions are real and somewhat earned honestly. I say somewhat because I did have a problem with one key plot point, as I thought it felt rushed. But aside from that, this is a superb film. The storytelling is solid and takes its own sweet-yet-alluring time getting to where it's going, the direction is perfect, the film looks gorgeous.
Speaking of gorgeous, Emayatzy Corinealdi. Yes. I'll take more of her on my screen. And the thing I loved about her in this film was when she had the opportunity to get extra showy, or melodramatic (and there were quite a few chances for her to do so), she refused, and instead opted for more nuance, more subtlety, just letting her eyes and beautiful face do the talking. There was a lot of that in this movie. There's a shot near the end of Omari Hardwick's face that pretty much sums up his situation, and he doesn't say a word. I was a fan of his before, but thanks to this performance, and him being the most intriguing thing about Sparkle, I'm a big fucking fan now.
I was afraid that Lorraine Toussaint would be too over-the-top as the overbearing mom, but she actually gave the character some meat, some solid reasoning behind why she is the way she is. She has a monologue near the end that is powerful, intense, and as real as it gets. She doesn't ask you to pick sides: this is her truth, this is how her daughters are and she doesn't like it, goddamnit, and this is how she handles it. Great fucking stuff.
I thought David Oyelowo was also solid. He took a role that would have been stock bullshit elsewhere and put some real thought and emotion behind it.
In a perfect world, Ava DuVernay would get at least a writing Oscar nomination. Hopefully, this film will bring her bigger opportunities. But for now, believe the hype. This is a wonderful film.
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WORLD STAR IN THIS BITCH!!!! WORLD STAR IN THIS BITCH!!!!
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