Till
The first serious contender for a 2022 Best Picture Oscar nomination, Till is an emotionally charged, fact-based docudrama of racism, grief, and justice mounted with an uncanny melange of power and sensitivity taking this reviewer through a gamut of emotions not felt from a single motion picture experience in a long time.
The story begins in 1955 Chicago where Mamie Till, a single working mother with a 14 year old son named Emmett, whom she affectionally refers to as Bobo, is apprehensive about letting Bobo go on a vacation to visit some cousins in Mississippi. Mamie warns Bobo to be respectful of everyone he meets down there, especially white people because any action on his part can be misinterpreted. After about a week in Mississippi, Emmett is brutally lynched and Mamie's anger about what happened to Emmett makes her a reluctant symbol for the Civil Rights Movement, but Mamie's only real concern is finding justice for her son.
Still collecting my thoughts about this emotionally draining motion picture experience that had me mesmerized from opening to closing credits. Director and co-screenwriter Chinonye Chukwu is worthy of double nominations for her incredible work in turning these horrible real life events into a viable motion picture experience. Chukwu takes her time in letting this story unfold, but not too much time so that interest never wanes. Particularly impressive was the care put into the introduction of this Emmett Till character to the viewer. We meet a charming, sensitive, hard-working child who adores his family and life in general. Emmett is portrayed as understanding what racism is, but doesn't really take it seriously as he should have.
Equal care went into the crafting of the Mamie character as well. This is a woman of not just great strength, but of great intelligence, something we don't expect to see from a black female movie character in the 1950's. Her decision to publish pictures of Emmett's body after it is returned to Chicago was inspired as was her decision to have his casket be open for his funeral. I loved the way Mamie managed to keep herself together during the funeral, but she completely lost it when the box containing her son's body was taken off the boat from Mississippi...one of movie's most powerful scenes, which definitely found me fighting tears.
Don't want to spoil the final act where the two men who grabbed Emmitt and took him to his final fate are put on trial. Though this part of the film became a little melodramatic, it is forgiven because of what happened, which aroused pure anger. As angry as it made me, it was nothing unrealistic and that's why it was so maddening.
Chukwu employed first rate production values in bring this epic the screen. Cinematography, production design, art direction, and costumes are all worthy of Oscar nominatiions. Danielle Deadwyler is also a lock for a Best Actress nomination for her powerhouse performance as Mamie Till Bradley. This dazzling performance brought to mind some of the finest work of Cicely Tyson and Viola Davis. She also nails that thing Viola Davis does where she fills her eyes with water without allowing a tear to fall. Deadwyler's performance coud have carried this film all by itself. Sean Patrick Thomas and Frankie Faison are solid as Mamie's boyfriend and father, respectively and Jalyn Hall is a charmer as young Bobo. And over 30 years after winning her first Oscar for Ghost, Whoopi Goldberg could earn her third nomination for her quietly powerful performance as Mami's mother. Everything works here and leaves a definite lump in the throat while doing it.
The first serious contender for a 2022 Best Picture Oscar nomination, Till is an emotionally charged, fact-based docudrama of racism, grief, and justice mounted with an uncanny melange of power and sensitivity taking this reviewer through a gamut of emotions not felt from a single motion picture experience in a long time.
The story begins in 1955 Chicago where Mamie Till, a single working mother with a 14 year old son named Emmett, whom she affectionally refers to as Bobo, is apprehensive about letting Bobo go on a vacation to visit some cousins in Mississippi. Mamie warns Bobo to be respectful of everyone he meets down there, especially white people because any action on his part can be misinterpreted. After about a week in Mississippi, Emmett is brutally lynched and Mamie's anger about what happened to Emmett makes her a reluctant symbol for the Civil Rights Movement, but Mamie's only real concern is finding justice for her son.
Still collecting my thoughts about this emotionally draining motion picture experience that had me mesmerized from opening to closing credits. Director and co-screenwriter Chinonye Chukwu is worthy of double nominations for her incredible work in turning these horrible real life events into a viable motion picture experience. Chukwu takes her time in letting this story unfold, but not too much time so that interest never wanes. Particularly impressive was the care put into the introduction of this Emmett Till character to the viewer. We meet a charming, sensitive, hard-working child who adores his family and life in general. Emmett is portrayed as understanding what racism is, but doesn't really take it seriously as he should have.
Equal care went into the crafting of the Mamie character as well. This is a woman of not just great strength, but of great intelligence, something we don't expect to see from a black female movie character in the 1950's. Her decision to publish pictures of Emmett's body after it is returned to Chicago was inspired as was her decision to have his casket be open for his funeral. I loved the way Mamie managed to keep herself together during the funeral, but she completely lost it when the box containing her son's body was taken off the boat from Mississippi...one of movie's most powerful scenes, which definitely found me fighting tears.
Don't want to spoil the final act where the two men who grabbed Emmitt and took him to his final fate are put on trial. Though this part of the film became a little melodramatic, it is forgiven because of what happened, which aroused pure anger. As angry as it made me, it was nothing unrealistic and that's why it was so maddening.
Chukwu employed first rate production values in bring this epic the screen. Cinematography, production design, art direction, and costumes are all worthy of Oscar nominatiions. Danielle Deadwyler is also a lock for a Best Actress nomination for her powerhouse performance as Mamie Till Bradley. This dazzling performance brought to mind some of the finest work of Cicely Tyson and Viola Davis. She also nails that thing Viola Davis does where she fills her eyes with water without allowing a tear to fall. Deadwyler's performance coud have carried this film all by itself. Sean Patrick Thomas and Frankie Faison are solid as Mamie's boyfriend and father, respectively and Jalyn Hall is a charmer as young Bobo. And over 30 years after winning her first Oscar for Ghost, Whoopi Goldberg could earn her third nomination for her quietly powerful performance as Mami's mother. Everything works here and leaves a definite lump in the throat while doing it.
Last edited by Gideon58; 06-18-23 at 03:04 AM.