TammyCurry

Fantastic and faithful adaptation of Nella Larsen’s novel with just some minor changes (no Chicago, no Gertrude Martin). Tessa Thompson does an incredible job portraying Irene’s interior struggles, Rebecca Hall strikes all the right notes in her direction and screenplay, and Ruth Negga is phenomenal at every turn. Watching her bring Clare’s misadventure to life is heartbreaking, haunting, and hypnotic.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Formulaic white plight fare scored to the maudlin ballads of hometown boy Van Morrison. The film does get a lift however whenever Ciarán Hinds and Caitriona Balfe appear on screen.

Perfectly good bio pic with a solid performance from Will Smith. The real star of the film however is Aunjanue Ellis playing a woman who is just as much deserving of her own bio pic, Queen Oracene.