A One Mann’s Movies review of “Till” (2023).
OH. MY. WORD. “Till” was an emotional ride I was really not expecting, but seldom has the success of a film rested so firmly on the back of its leading lady.
Bob the Movie Man Rating(s):
Plot Summary:
Marnie Till-Bradley (Danielle Deadwyler) is living a good life in Chicago. She has a job, a nice house, parents living nearby and a fine boy by the name of Emmett (or “Bo” to his mum) (Jalyn Hall). But all of that foundation crumbles when Emmett goes to visit relatives in Mississippi. Although firmly tutored by his mother that “things are different down there”, the young boy is headstrong and a minor ‘infraction’ with white-storekeeper Carolyn Bryant (Haley Bennett) leads to Emmett’s picture leading the news around the US, for all the wrong reasons.
Certification:
UK: 12; US: PG-13. (From the BBFC: “Racism, disturbing images, upsetting scenes, moderate threat”.)
Talent:
Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Whoopi Goldberg, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, John Douglas Thompson.
Directed by: Chinonye Chukwu.
Written by: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp & Chinonye Chukwu
Twitter Handles: #TillMovie.
A powerful commitment to justice. Marnie (Danielle Deadwyler) speaking in Harlem. (Source: Universal Pictures).
“Till” Review:
Positives:
- Moving. Astonishing. Impressive. Utterly Jaw-dropping. All of those superlatives that you might see on movie posters and trailers to commend this performance, I would echo and amplify here. Danielle Deadwyler, playing the grieving mother up against a racist and corrupt system, gives – for me – the performance of the year. Hell, I’ll go further and say that it’s the performance of the decade so far. Grief on screen can go over-the-top and appear hammy. There is not a trace of that from Deadwyler. There are two notable scenes that had me literally holding my breath: one where Marnie hears “the news” about Emmett – a painful close up (with a tad of Spielberg ‘dolly zoom’?) that literally takes you inside her shock; and her testimony at the trial, done as a single continuous and breathtaking take. It’s always dangerous to call out an Oscar winner early, particularly when many of the Oscar films have yet to be released in the UK. But I would expect my money will squarely be on Ms Deadwyler this year.
- Shamefully, I didn’t know this story until now. But director Chinonye Chukwu wisely plays out the action not with fancy flashbacks or dream sequences, but in real-time exposing us to the true horror of the racist South. Honestly, it might be nearly 50 years distant, but this movie still managed to fill me with a burning RAGE about the incident. And you just want to stand up and punch some of the characters, particularly the lying Mrs Bryant, played skillfully and subtly by Haley Bennett, and the outrageous Sheriff Strider (Brendan Patrick Connor). This is powerful film-making.
- It’s surprising to me that the film has managed to get through with a ’12’ certificate, since this is a tense and disturbing watch. Although the actual violence meted out on Emmett is hidden from view, the aftermath of that hatred, and key to the historical accuracy of the incident, is most definitely not. Now, giving it a 12 certificate (and a PG-13 in the States) means that it can be shown in schools as part of a syllabus on US race relations, which feels important. But I would hesitate about 12 year-olds seeing some of the images in this film. It really is the stuff of nightmares.
- I haven’t mentioned the supporting cast, overshadowed by Danielle Deadwyler’s epic leading performance. But there are some really solid turns in here. Whoopi Goldberg (as the grieving grandmother) is excellent in a smaller supporting role, as is John Douglas Thompson as the guilt-ridden ‘Preacher’, a man caught in an utterly impossible situation.
- The production design for 1955 America is fabulous as is the Costume and Hair department’s contribution, particularly given the extensive crowd-scenes that the movie features.
- As with many of these “true life” films, there are captions at the end of the film that describe what happened to some of the participants. Some of these made me BURN with anger ($4,000!!!!!!). But the final caption led me to exclaim out loud! Just extraordinary.
Negatives:
- Despite being generally gripped, there were a few scenes that dragged, particularly at the start of the film, and could have been cut to move things along. At 130 minutes, I think the film is about 10 minutes too long.
- And in terms of balance, the courtroom scenes are particularly gripping and I would have enjoyed seeing more of those at the expense of some of the “set up” at the start of the film.
Summary Thoughts on “Till”
This is an important film, telling a little-known story (at least outside of the US) in a compelling and evocative way. It’s not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a very moving and rewarding one.
Trailer for “Till”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqAAxlfY7Dg .
[…] Source link […]