If nothing else the cinematography ought to be amazing. I guess he's really settling into the use of that subjective camera as he uses with the close ups on the character's faces.
Looks well acted and I'm eager to see how this shakes out.
6. "Why do you think this movie won't be as popular as Moonlight?" In response to Reply # 4
I haven't read the book so I can't speak specifically about the likability of the subject. But is the story in the movie radically different from the book? Or is the story just not timely?
13. "I don’t see that being a problem" In response to Reply # 7 Sun Dec-30-18 12:49 PM by spirit
I think homophobia prevented Moonlight from being more successful. I have a lot of friends who weren’t interested in seeing it. They didn’t expressly say that homosexuality in the film was the reason, but they didn’t give any other compelling reason. Being that this country is still deeply homophobic, I’d imagine a film with two heterosexual protagonists would do much better at the box office, especially when black films already have a hill to climb to “cross over” in America (and other countries). Films with a Black female POV have made decent money tho. Don’t think some kind of patriarchal backlash will hurt this movie. Fonny also gets a lot of screen time.
9. "I managed to catch this a couple of weeks ago" In response to Reply # 0
My sister's friend told her about a screening at the Arclight and the three of us saw it.
I still don't know what to make of this movie. It was well acted, well shot, well written, paced well. The score was amazing.
But I didn't emotionally connect to this movie for whatever reason.
I'm not sure quite why tho. I think it may have been the filmmaking style. For whatever reason I was expecting something subjective but more traditional like Moonlight.
I randomly watched Moonlight earlier in the month and thought Beale St. would be a continuation of that style.
This was more subjective than Moonlight in some respects with the vignettes cutting from the main timeline of Fonny in prison and his love history with Tish. The music was more prominent to me than I expected as well.
It's not that I don't like stylistic or arthouse touches, or at least I did. I loved Moonlight and Malick is one of my favorite directors.
But I think my expectations were a lot different for Beale St. than Moonlight and the movie disappointed me not because I anticipated one film and watched something different.
That being said, Regina is GAWD and I hope this movie maybe wins an adapted screenplay award.
I plan on seeing this again. I may finally get what I am wanting from it on another viewing.
10. "My favorite scene..." In response to Reply # 0
...telling Fonny's family about the new baby.
Everything about this scene was a great lesson in directing. Loved the sister hinting at "wanting to tell the sisters", so we're already set. We immediately understood the personalities of Fonny's family as soon as they sat down.
Aunjanue Ellis, who played Mrs. Hunt was fantastic.
Cinematographer James Laxton (who also shot Moonlight) was fantastic. Every shot had a colorful purpose. In fact, the team work of the set designer and wardrobe really made this film shine.
14. "I took it as a sign of the times. He was still "the man of the house"..." In response to Reply # 12
>The father slapping the Bible thumping mother after her final confrontation with the lead actress.
>What she said was terrible, but that was still his wife.
Seemed like he'd struggled with her 'holier than thou' attitude for quite a stretch and that he was just tired of it. And her cursing of that unborn child seems to have taken him over the top.
She had the audacity to be a cold, disrespectful, and judgmental woman in someone else's home. The dude was probably embarrassed by it as well as having pent up frustrations about many other things such as her seeming disdain for her own son whom was adored by his father.
I was honestly surprised that Regina King didn't do it. She was as graceful as she could be until she told old girl to get her stuff. LOL
16. "Spoiler warning on this whole exchange" In response to Reply # 14 Wed Jan-02-19 08:00 PM by spirit
The film established its own world. A world largely filled with love. There was little to no buildup to that explosion of violence. It didn’t fit the vibe of the rest of the movie. The relative lack of a reaction from the daughters made it seem like old boy was routinely abusive. I’m sure there was loads of domestic abuse back in the day (there still is now) but the only other moment of violence in the film (when The male lead, whose name I’m still not sure how to spell , shoved the guy away from his girl* outside the bodega) was set up to be more justifiable. The guy harassed her, she was trying to walk away from him, and he just wouldn’t stop. By contrast, that slap seemed to come out of nowhere and there were lots of other ways he could have responded. Even if he yanked her by the arm to pull her out of there, I would have understood that more than slapping her...
* I’m bad with names in real life and worst with film character names. I only remember his name because it sounds kind of like Fonzie.
>>The father slapping the Bible thumping mother after her >final confrontation with the lead actress. > >>What she said was terrible, but that was still his wife. > >Seemed like he'd struggled with her 'holier than thou' >attitude for quite a stretch and that he was just tired of it. >And her cursing of that unborn child seems to have taken him >over the top. > >She had the audacity to be a cold, disrespectful, and >judgmental woman in someone else's home. The dude was probably >embarrassed by it as well as having pent up frustrations about >many other things such as her seeming disdain for her own son >whom was adored by his father. > >I was honestly surprised that Regina King didn't do it. She >was as graceful as she could be until she told old girl to get >her stuff. LOL > >Them daughters though... MAN!
legsdiamond Member since May 05th 2011 79349 posts
Mon Feb-18-19 10:39 AM
26. "She cursed their first grandson " In response to Reply # 12
The husband was happy as hell when he heard she was pregnant and then to immediately hear his wife say that was a real ass breaking point
I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the first time he hit her because it felt like dude had finally had enough and all those years of her preaching and high and mighty talk was directed at an unborn baby????
Whew.
That shit caught me by surprise.
**************** TBH the fact that you're even a mod here fits squarely within Jag's narrative of OK-sanctioned aggression, bullying, and toxicity. *shrug*
this was a feast for the eyes & ears... my lord this a gorgeously shot film with a gorgeous perfectly matched score... just beautiful. I kept thinking 'this is just so beautiful' and the entire cast is amazing
22. "Great way to put it. Not sure I've seen a love story like this in years...." In response to Reply # 21
>also i love that in every movie i see that Brian Tyree Henry >shows up in it never fails that someone in the crowd will be >like "oh shit its Paperboy" > >this time it was me lol.
28. "I really want to see this now" In response to Reply # 0
I just finished the book and overall it was amazing, as to be expected from Baldwin.
I am especially interested in how the movie portrays Fonny's father, and the ending. Cause the book just kind of ends without the resolution I expected, or any resolution for that matter. I just wonder if the movie will be true to that or give a little more closure.