Review of Eve's Bayou (1997) by Joey B — 20 Dec 2013

This film is stunning. It should have received hella attention and awards. A wonderful visionary, Kasi Lemmons deserves to be up there amidst the list of top male directors. Her latest BLACK NATIVITY is something I'll rush to support at the theatre because of the beauty of Eve's Bayou.

Whenever I look back to the films that came out in the 90's, I recall a hella lot of great independent little films, many w/ Steve Bucsemi, Anne Heche, Dermot Mulroney, Catherine Keener, and a whole lot of other white and Italian Amer faces! It was something else to catch Spike Lee films and little known other Black directors, writers and actors & actresses. This one was such a gem that I felt like I was viewing poetry onscreen. Lovely new child actress Jurnee Smollett, who grew into an adult actress of quite the talent indeed, and a cast of others who with Cassie Lemmon's direction and a wonderful script, made the viewer feel like she/he was part of the unseen set getting to view magic happen.

Engaging, scary at times, heart wrenching, sweet...Eve's Bayou contains layers of complexity that don't often take place all at once for a viewer. All these years later I am compelled to see it again. Like a good book, this is just one of those films that has a Terrence Malick-like pull to feed the soul with inspiration and a warm heart.