Review of If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) by Brent_Marchant — 29 Dec 2018
Director Barry Jenkins's followup to his Oscar-winning masterpiece "Moonlight" comes close to matching its predecessor in many respects, though it doesn't quite equal its forerunner. With fine performances, beautiful cinematography, genuinely evocative emotion and a skillfully crafted ambiance, "If Beale Street Could Talk" effectively draws viewers into a world characterized by heartfelt love and ugly injustice.
However, despite these many attributes, the film is somewhat bogged down by excessively lingering imagery and protracted dialogue that both go on a little too long, needlessly slowing the narrative's pace.
What's more, in an attempt to avoid being too heavy-handed, the director at times uses a little too much restraint in his storytelling, keeping the picture from having an impact as strong as it might have been.
In all, a fine effort in many regards, though one that I wish could have been a little better. But, considering what it had to live up to, that would have been a tall order for any filmmaker.
This review of If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) was written by Brent_Marchant on 29 Dec 2018.
If Beale Street Could Talk has generally received positive reviews.
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