Barry Jenkins didn’t take it easy after Moonlight, following it up by adapting an acclaimed novel by James Baldwin.
If Beale Street Could Talk follows a young woman as she works with family and friends to fight the false rape charges leveled against her fiance. To make matters worse, there’s a ticking clock in the form of her pregnancy, and oh yeah, all of this is tied into the plight of black people living in America. Just some easy, light material after the heartache of Moonlight.
In all seriousness, if anyone can replicate the impact of Baldwin’s prose, it’s Jenkins, who blew everyone away with the big and small moments of growing up as a gay black man. As long as he brings the same evocative style to If Beale Street Could Talk, the film should live up to the sky-high expectations.
After an extensive search, a fresh face was chosen to headline the adaptation. KiKi Layne had no feature credits to her name when she landed the role, and while her co-star Stephan James has quite a bit more experience, he still isn’t a recognizable name. Seems to me that Jenkins is trying to let the source material shine, and in this case, why the hell not?
If Beale Street Could Talk is directed by Barry Jenkins and stars KiKi Layne, Stephan James, and Regina King. It will be released in the US on November 30th, 2018 and in the UK on January 18th, 2019. For international release dates, click here.
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