If Beale Street Could Talk (It Will Say Black People Are Human After All)

I finally got to see the movie If Beale Street Could Talk, and I must say, what a breathe of fresh air! Alas, a movie about Black people just being human (not caricatures) and loving and supporting each other even as racism and injustice threatens to tear everything apart. 

Set in the 70's, Beale Street is about Tish and Fonny, a young couple who have loved each other their whole lives. They plan on building a wonderful life together but plans are derailed when Fonny is locked behind bars for a crime he did not commit. 

The first thing I was impressed by with this movie was the depiction of a Black couple in love that didn't feel forced, raunchy or like some foreign experience. You can feel the pure connection the couple shared as they walked down the street, gazed into  each other's eyes, made love for the first time. Another aspect of the movie I enjoyed was the support system the couple experienced with their family. Minus a few "haters" on Fonny's side of the family who ostracize her after she gets pregnant, the family showed a perfect example of solidarity and the Black family experience that we know exists and has existed for several centuries. Both fathers to Tish and Fonny even join forces to raise funds, albeit illegally, to further help Fonny's case. 

I am not trying to give the movie away, so I won't go too deep into the plot. However, I highly recommend that you see this movie for its poetic scenes, classical jazz sounds, historicity and very eloquently captured love story. Though I found some scenes to be too drawn out, which I guess sometimes comes with the challenge of translating novels to films, I rate this a FIVE STARS for all the reasons above. 

And by the way, congratulations Regina King (who played Tish's mother) for your Golden Globes win for Best Supporting Actress! 

By Ebele Chizea.