A Thousand and One

This features quite a strong performance from a convincing Teyana Taylor. She is "Inez" who decides that she wants to reclaim her young son "Terry" from his life on the streets of New York. What now ensues illustrates quite well the difficulties they both face as they both grow up with little by way of opportunity - or money - but determined to stick together despite their not always seeing eye to eye. Along the way, she marries "Lucky" (William Catlett), a decent man who offers some stability and it begins to look like "Terry" (by this stage played by Josiah Cross, but played well as a child by Aaron Kingsley Adetola) might just have a chance. Thing is, as the audience know by now, the relationship between mother and son is not as it seems - and the impending action of the authorities, coupled with a rather unscrupulous landlord, look like the wrecking ball is en route to their dreams. It meanders a bit too much for me, this film. It could have easily lost twenty minutes and the writing could have focussed better on developing the "Terry" character a little more, but it's still quite a powerful assessment of family values, loyalty and civic indifference that ought to make anyone sit up and take notice. It doesn't need a big screen - but is worth a watch on the telly.

I was SO looking forward to this and the trailer really made it seem like it was going to be both really intense and a tearjerker.

For me, it failed to deliver on both of those points. I was bored and struggled to stay engaged. It wasn't until the final 15 or 20 minutes of the film that things started to get interesting enough to warrant sticking it out to the end.

Until then, it felt like a bunch of rather jumbled-up plot lines that didn't come together coherently. There wasn't a strong thread of a story, or at least there didn't seem to be, until the final act.

Plus, I never felt the emotional connection between the son and either of his parental figures -- or between the two parents themselves. None of them seemed particularly attached to each other, so even the final act carried a lot less emotional weight for me, because it didn't feel they'd "been through something" together -- it just felt like they had spent their lives living side by side, but never strongly connected emotionally.

There were a few lines here and there that were meant to telescope the parental figures' devotion to the kid... but they honestly fell flat, because they were just inserted into the middle of what felt like a bunch of random scenes of people just living their lives (I guess I should give points for realism... but I do watch movies to do more than just observe people living ordinary lives).

To be clear, it wasn't the actors' fault. Their performances were really, really good. I just don't think they were given a good enough script to bring things together. The story should have been tighter, more focused, and the script more intense, and then the underlying plot would have really sucker-punched the viewer (because it DOES have a unique plot).

The score is great. And with such good acting and a unique plot, I just wish the final product would have come together better.

Premiering at Sundance, A Thousand and One tells the story of a mother and son, navigating against hardship, the weight of New York City policies, gentrification, and a secret. There's a feeling of tension throughout the film, waiting for what may happen to Inez and Terry, though it also evokes the edge and breathlessness that comes with living with the weight of poverty and NYC racism. For its beats about NYC history, the film serves reminders of the barriers faced by Black families in Harlem in 1990's and into 2000's. If there is a criticism, there are moments when the script could have been tighter, perhaps a bit more time with Terry. Teyona Taylor is a star for carrying so much of the emotional weight across this film, but also William Catlett as Lucky plus Josiah Cross and Aaron Kingsley Adetola as Terry are stellar.

Since the trailer I was drawn to Teyana Taylor's portrayal of a mother trying to make ends met to raise her son. I was not disappointed in her performance in the slightest. She absolutely deserves recognition for her role in this film. William Catlett was also very good and had good chemistry with Teyana. All the other actors were also very convincing in their roles. I would just say I expected a bit more emotion from Josiah Cross in one of the scenes towards the end of the film.

This movie does a great job at portraying the grittiness of New York and the hardships that many have to endure. The film does a good job at building the relationships between the main three characters. The problem with this film is that it took too long to get into the climax. Constant situations would arise but it was apparent that there had to be something more to the story being told. The audience is left waiting too long for that major turning point in the film.

When the film finally got to that much awaited moment it did deliver a heartwarming moment. This is a very deep story and I would recommend people watch it for how real and relatable the story is.

A social drama that is not as predictable as first thought. Fashion model, actress and artist Teyana Taylor stars as the restless and determined Inez. I have never seen her in a film role before, but I can say that she carries this film to a great extent. The film is written by A. V. Rockvell, who also directs. The film largely succeeds in being an engaging drama about an era from the mid-90s and 10 years into the future. The film depicts difficult social conditions, this time the action is set in New York. The liberating thing about the film is that even though the main character faces a lot of opposition and is far down the ladder financially and socially, she never gives up. The film could easily have ended as a description of misery, but Teyana makes sure to give life and commitment to the main character who appears as a primal force who fights fiercely for what she believes in.

I won't reveal the surprising element here, but I'm looking forward to upcoming films from A. V. Rockwell. We need films that give us insight into exciting characters. Not everything has to be popcorn movies.