James Baldwin was a voice ahead of his time. He defined intellectual at a time when his level of intellectual was reserved only for the elite. Only now are we getting a revisit from James Baldwin in the form of an, “Ah Ha…”

In his time, he was labeled a communist, a reactionary, a militant. Today he’s a genius of social consciousness. If Beale Street Could Talk is Baldwin’s fifth novel and speaks to a set of circumstances that were overlooked in 1974… The unfairly accused and a justice system that was available to the rich, but not the poor.

Story: This is today’s story. We’re hearing any number of incidents of innocent people spending decades in prison. This story is /was of no consequence to the majority, but, James Baldwin had the courage to shine a light on it. So let’s start there…

Barry Jenkins is to be commended for bringing the story to the screen. But, I’m not a fan of the screenplay. The issue is compelling… the dialogue is not. It didn’t grab me.

Performances: I was particularly disappointed with the performances of the main characters. I kept wishing for more but did not get it.

Regina King as the mother of one of the main characters was good, but, I was already expecting that as I saw this film after she won a Golden Globe for this role. There are no other performances in this film of note…

Visual: Set in the middle 1970’s, it certainly looks the part. The cars, the clothes, the colors. But, the feeling of this film reminded me of a Spike Lee film. It suggested importance, but, didn’t deliver in performance and dialogue.

Rating: Just because an important issue is being told on film doesn’t mean its being told well. This film for me rises to the Spike Lee effect. Important social message without high quality substance. Maybe I now have a Barry Jenkins effect…

I wanted to like this film but I’m not afraid to say I didn’t. It just felt like it wasn’t enough for me.

I give If Beale Street Could Talk a C. See it streaming and go into it prepared to appreciate the issue…