‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ feels like a black Malick movie

Of the three major Oscar contenders which cover race matters, Barry Jenkins’ acclaimed adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk is the most elegiac and impenetrable.

Black Panther provides excitement and ultimately inspiration, while Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman is a pulpy polemic whose laughs uncomfortably stick in your throat.

In Jenkins film, for better or worse, he doubles down on the dreamy lyricism of his breakthrough (eventual) Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight and the result is a film that feels more like a pastiche than a definitive story.

In many ways, it reminds me of the work of director Terrence Malick — like many of that director’s film the pace in languid and the main characters mostly passive. The film is beautifully shot with an impeccable score, and it’s punctuated by occasional fiery moments that can be deeply affecting.

Of course, like much of Malick’s work, it’s also not for everyone’s tastes.

I’ll admit that it took me a while to adjust to what Jenkins is doing here. The narrative jumps around, sometimes guided by a voiceover supplied by the luminous leading lady KiKi Layne, or accented by stunning archival photos that also evoke the 60s-70s era in which the film is set.

It works more once you come to look at it as a slice of one life that reflects a far grander portrait of a very specific kind of wasted black male life, of which the late author James Baldwin (on whose novel this film is based) wrote more effectively than possibly anyone ever.

I confess I have not read this particular Baldwin book, so I don’t know how the movie compares but I do know that they both deal with the thorny issue of a false rape allegation. It’s to this film’s credit that this plot is handled with grace and sensitivity.

As he demonstrated with Moonlight, Jenkins excels at portraying intimacy - not just sexuality — but those hushed, emotionally resonant conversations that take place at the bar or the dinner table or by a bedside — which can feel like the weight of the world rests on every word.

Where he may falter for some audiences is with some of his stylistic flourishes, which walk a fine line between being too precious and powerful. If Beale Street Could Talk is the type of movie people tend to say they admire more than they enjoy it. It is definitely a viewing experience that asks more of its audience than most, which’s makes its resonance as an awards season movie that much more impressive.

In other words, while the virtues of A Star is Born are self evident throughout, If Beale Street Could Talk will likely benefit from repeat viewings, in a quiet space and a full night's rest.

That being said, I'm glad it's competing with bigger, louder audience pleasers. Jenkins has earned the right to move at his own unique rhythm, and I can't wait to see what he does next.