We Need To Talk About Kelvin
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"What's the difference between punishing someone for being a stereotype and rewarding them if they're not?"
An impressive, almost Shakespearean drama about the 'American Dream' as it intertwines with perceptions of race and identity– all told with the doubly-impressive goal of making you identify and root for a teenage sociopath. Thank god the director behind The Cloverfield Paradox also had this in him.
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“it’s not that simple”
“nothing ever is”handled with delicate complexity that left me questioning every word and every glance. not much is answered, but it doesn’t matter anyways. what’s more important is the perception of identity and what it means to be good or bad. and how there’s barely an in between. this was sensational
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i think it's ultimately a bit too writerly (i was not surprised to see this was adapted from a play) but was still fairly impressed by the ease with which it adds code-switching and identity politics to the taut, gaslight thriller. the weaponization of ideological ambiguity and social dynamics into larger ideas of political/personal expectations is solid, the performances are a little more complicated than the writing is and it most impressively has very few illusions of grandeur. a couple…
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i can't stop picturing octavia spencer as Ma
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It’s a very interesting premise delivered by very capable performers, but this is another example of a premise stretched thin when converted from play to screenplay. I like everything the film explores as ideas - most notably performative black masculinity and the ways in which it is shaped by white anxieties and biases. However, the film slowly but surely loses control of the plot until it’s spinning in place, with nothing new or interesting added to the story beyond superficially…
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Watching it I kept thinking "this seems like a play," and then the end credits came and surprise! turns out it's based on a play
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Holy shit. What a way to comeback after directing The Cloverfield Paradox, which I didn't hate but this is beyond next level in comparison. Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth & Kelvin Harrison Jr. (!!) all destroying it in their respective roles. And then we've got J.C. Lee's brilliantly theatrical writing, Madeleine Gavin's editing (Nerve, Mean Creek, etc.), Larkin Seiple's cinematography (Swiss Army Man, Cop Car, etc.), and Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury (Ex Machina, Annihilation, etc.) channeling a combination of their inner Max Richter & something along the lines of Jamie xx's "Gosh." Yeah, I shouldn't have slept on this while it was in theatres.
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it really do be that serious
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"I understand context."
Okay, so listen. Reviews for this thing have been golden. It has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing, which does seem to reflect what most audiences are feeling about it right now. It's getting praise left and right. Kelvin Harrison Jr, so good in It Comes at Night, seems primed to break out via this movie. It's packed to the gills with stars. It's a psychological thriller that directly attacks social ills, which…
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LUCE...OMG!! What a film! Deception, betrayal, acceptance, prejudice, individuality, racism & assumption. This is by far the best screenplay, best ensemble & best film I’ve seen at Sundance 2019. Naomi Watts is terrific as always while Octavia Spencer & Kelvin Harrison Jr. deliver the best performances of their careers. This screenplay is a masterpiece!
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i don’t trust any high schooler that’s that good at public speaking
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