A Jazzman's Blues

I have never in my 65 years wanted a movie to to not have a cliched, predictable ending as much as this one! It started with a lot of promise- it wasn't horrible or anything- and how often do we see a movie without a single actor we have seen or heard of before? Seems to me that if Perry had been thinking about this for 27 years or whatever...and I'm not even talking about the logical inconsistencies in the story, since that is so not the point! What is the point of having an imagination, a work ethic, tons of experience in the movie business- yes, I know about Medea but it's not like anyone else was involved in this movie!

I have never given Tyler Perry overflowing accolades for any of his cinematic undertakings but I proclaim open heartily this noteworthy feature will stand endlessly in his repertoire. The writing(Which I always felt was rushed in Tyler's assortment of movies), was exceptional! The Casting (Joshua Boone who is a reincarnation of Sam Cooke from voice to appearance with phenomenal acting skills and I can't go without applauding Amirah Vann who's a believable chameleon on every theatrical level from conducting a boardroom to a bluesy matriarch. Too many cast members to thank for giving their all to each character. And last the aesthetically pleasing cinematography that put the viewers right there with every voice.

Set in a rural Georgia town during the 1940s, the story begins with a budding romance between seventeen-year-old Horace John Boyd (Joshua Boone), nicknamed Bayou, and sixteen-year-old Leanne Harper (Solea Pfeiffer). Despite this, there are terrors at every turn for the two African American lovers. For Bayou, the possibility of being lynched, tortured, beaten and killed is real and terrifying. Every day could be his last because of a widely held belief in the concept of a "superior race" that is somehow more intelligent and beautiful. For Leanne, however, those terrors are slightly different. Despite being part of the African American community, she has something that Bayou doesn't: the ability to pass as white. Ultimately, her decision to take advantage of this particular characteristic breaks everything apart.

The film's appeal stems from the fact that it is a character-driven narrative that brings the darkest aspects of human morality to light. I applaud Perry for never losing sight of that and for creating a film that touches upon many aspects of race and identity without being overwhelming.

Tyler Perry is not known for high-quality material, but this movie pleasantly surprised. It was pretty solid until the end.

I was engrossed in the story even if it wasn't necessarily original. The acting was good, the music was pleasant, and the story was compelling enough to keep you engaged while being uncomfortable awaiting the inevitable tragedy to come in the end.

And while you knew a tragedy was coming, you still hoped there was some kind of resolution. There was none. It was just a buildup to a tragedy. So underwhelming. I was surprised at how lacking the ending was. Then I remembered it's a Tyler Perry project, his art is still a work in progress I think it's fair to say.

Tyler Perry makes a drama. It was ok and glad I watched thru to the end. I almost turned it off about 30 minutes in because I thought the movie was going in a different direction but then saw it wasn't. Story ended up good and original. Some of the themes were to be expected though. Even had unexpected twists. Acting was good. But I walked away feeling meh overall about it. The problem with was the pacing. Dragged too much. Felt myself getting up too many times. Lip syncing was bad during the songs. Needed tightened up and about 30 minutes taken off the film. Love the song in the credits. Added it to my chill playlist.