“If Beale Street Could Talk” Movie Review

    I was rather surprised the other day as I was searching through Hulu and I saw that the movie “If Beale Street Could Talk” happened to be on there.  The movie was released late last year if memory serves me well and was a critical darling so I wanted to check it out as soon as possible.

    The film tells the rather simple story of young love between two African Americans, Fonny and Tish.  The pair struggle to make it during the 70s in New York.  Unfortunately, Fonny is falsely arrested on a rape charge and was set up by a corrupt police officer so his case doesn’t look very good.  After Fonny’s arrest, Tish reveals to him and later her family that she is pregnant with his child.

    I can definitely see why critics loved the movie.  The film is based on the acclaimed novel by James Baldwin.  It is the kind of drama that tells a story that is relatable to anyone who has experienced struggle.  The film is vibrant and feels like it was shot in the 70s.  The film feels as close to a blend of a book and painting as a movie can get.  I guess that is part of the reason I don’t tend to gravitate towards films like this though.  For all of it’s brilliance, I tend to enjoy a movie that makes me forget my problems.  Escapism, to me, is the main reason I go to the movies.  I have to be in a particular mood to watch a movie in order to be depressed.

    All of that being said, the film is beautifully written and the dialogue sounds eloquent and powerful.  The film is filled with powerful performances that help transcend this film from the average family drama.  The film also features a wonderful jazz infused score which you can just shut your eyes and listen to.

    Although the film acts as a framework for the struggles African Americans went through and how it effected their lives, it does provide a ray of hope at the end.  Sometimes living through a struggle but being able to look towards the future anyway is a strength no one can take away from you.  It is a strength both Fonny and Tish have even in the face of the hardships they must still overcome.  Life isn’t easy but you have to keep moving forward for the sake of your loved ones and yourself.

    “If Beale Street Could Talk” isn’t for everyone by any means.  It is slowly paced and though it has many strengths, it is also kind of a downer.  I would say that the movie does an incredible job transporting the audience to New York in the 70s.  Depending on your mood, it’s worth the trip.

Grade: C+

"Cloverfield" Movie Review

    When the first trailer hit for the mysterious project that was later to be revealed as "Cloverfield", the internet went wild with speculation and theories.  Was it a secret "Godzilla" remake?  Was it a "Voltron" movie?  J.J. Abrams was producing it, so was it connected to "Lost"?  So many people were sure they knew what "Cloverfield" was going to be.  I mean, the trailer didn't even reveal a title, so it had to be connected to something, right?  Almost all of them were wrong.

    "Cloverfield" turned out to be something original and not connected to any other franchise.  It was it's own beast, so to speak.  "Cloverfield" is basically just a found footage style movie about a large monster who decides to destroy New York.  We aren't given much detail about what the monster is doing here or how it got here, but we just know it is causing havoc.  So basically, if you throw "Godzilla" and "The Blair Witch Project" together in a blender, you end up with something like "Cloverfield".

    The cast was made up of largely up and coming actors like T.J. Miller, Jessica Lucas, and Mike Vogel.  Out of the cast, Miller is the notable standout.  Of course, the real star of the movie isn't the human cast, it's Clovie!  The movie waits until the end to give us the final reveal of what the monster looks like and it appears as if it could have stepped right out of a H.P. Lovecraft book.

    This movie's biggest fault is what also makes it original ironically.  The found footage camera work is effective to almost a fault.  The shaky cam vibe makes you feel like you might just get sick watching it.  This was a common complaint among audiences of the film.  It's not easy enjoying a film that makes you want to throw up.

    The movie is original and definitely worth watching assuming you can stomach the experience.  “Cloverfield” is on par with the modern day monster movies like the Gareth Edwards directed “Godzilla” and it’s connected sister movie “Kong: Skull Island”.

Grade: B-