If Beale Street Could Talk

Writer/Director Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk is a poignant love story that should give even the whitest American a sense of what it’s like to be a person of color in this Country.

Taken from a book by James Baldwin, the drama involves a pregnant young New York couple Tish (Kiki Layne) and Alonso (Stephan James), who are planning their life together, when Alonso is arrested for a rape he did not commit.

The story follows Tish’s pregnancy while their families’ attempt to get the money to get legal help for Alonso.

What is interesting to me about this tale is that viewers never know where Jenkins is taking them. Initially, it seemed a bit annoying, until I realized that his point was that the characters never knew what was going to happen next.  It was a way of making us empathize with their plight.

In addition to beautiful performances by Layne And James, Regina King and Colman Domingo as Tish’s parents are absolutely wonderful.

If you want to know what happens to these totally American families, I urge you to see If Beale Street Could Talk. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 and thank my friend James for still being able to teach me.