Where I Watched it: Peaecock

English Audio Description?: Yes

I knew nothing going in. I know that sounds like a rarity, but frequently I have very little information, as I don’t watch that many previews (since most don’t have audio description). With this title, I had a friend see it in theatres and recommend it to me, but I wasn’t engaged enough to track it down theatrically. A few weeks later, it’s on Peacock.

This film is best served cold. I say that knowing that it was slow starting, and I wasn’t fully invested in the film for a while. It doesn’t have a superstar cast, but Tiana Taylor gives a strong performance. It was starting to give me The Pursuit Of Happyness vibes, with a sprinkle of precious, but as the film moves forward into its third act it becomes a film all without comparison. That’s probably the most compelling thing about the film, is while it appears to start off in one place, the journey it takes leaves you where you weren’t expecting.

The audio description does a good job on the little details, focusing on objects, or facial expressions. There’s less of a desire here to talk about wardrobe choices all the time, considering how the film is set in present day, and also doesn’t spend the film reminding us of the predominantly black cast. Normally, when roles are not defined, the assumption is that they must be white. But, with the case of this movie, that puts that perspective in a new light. This time, the assumption has to be the cast is default black, as the main characters are, and therefore, they make you feel a different set of normality.

I’m admitting the first 10-15 minutes are the weakest part, and it’s just a slow start. Once you get past a certain point, the character study on display, as well as where the story takes you makes the trip worthwhile. I didn’t know it would be like that from the very beginning.

Final Grade: B+