Review of Passing (2021) by Tvjerry — 22 Nov 2021

This film is based on the 1929 novel set during the Harlem Renaissance. Tessa Thompson plays a Black woman, who discovers one of her childhood friends (Ruth Negga) is passing for white. They begin a new relationship that calls several issues into question.

This first project written/directed by Rebecca Hall is shot in the old-school square ratio in black and white. Hall was able to coax effective performances from the cast, but the entire movie unfolds with the same quiet pace, which allows breathing room for the actors, but fails to create much emotional momentum.

There are also time-lapse ellipsis in the timeline that are sometimes confusing. The period dresses are lovely and the actors do a commendable job, but the deliberate pace and almost complete lack of music make the story feel more stark and tamp down the story’s effectiveness.