girlfriend from an assault - but
they never feel like ‘white sav-
iour’ archetypes, they’re simply
good people doing the right thing
when so few others will. Notably,
all three are coded as Jewish, and
in the case of the latter, you won-
der if maybe she’s alive because
somebody stood between her
and a man in uniform three de-
cades earlier. Jews played a sig-
nificant role in the birth of Jazz too
- Louis Armstrong credited his life
and career to the family of Lithu-
anian Jews who took him in as a
child, and he wore a Star of David
around his neck throughout his life
in recognition - and like African-
Americans, they know that no mat-
ter how bright today is, darkness is
never far away.
If Beale Street Could Talk is about
people stuck in a horrific situa-
tion, but never feeling sorry for
themselves, carrying hope in their
hearts and finding beauty wherev-
er they can. That’s the essence of
Jazz. It’s dark now, but brightness
is never far away.
w
If Beale Street
Could Talk
4 ½ stars out of 5
Directed by: Barry Jenkins
Starring: KiKi Layne, Stephan James,
Regina King, Colman Domingo, Diego
Luna, Finn Wittrock, Ed Skrein, Pedro
Pascal, Brian Tyree Henry, Dave Franco
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 54
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