by Dov Kornits
James Baldwin’s standing as a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement was recently elevated with the Oscar nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro, and now one of the most exciting cinematic voices of our time, Barry Jenkins, has adapted his 1974 novel If Beale Street Could Talk for the screen in what looks like an accessible, albeit prosaic drama of the top order.
Starring luminous newcomer Kiki Lane and Stephan James (Race, Selma) as a couple about to have a baby, things are complicated when he is sent to prison for a crime that he did not commit. The supporting cast includes Regina King, Colman Domingo, Teyonah Paris, Michael Beach, Diego Luna and Ed Skrein.
In the US it’ll go out in November, however, in Australia, eOne will release it March 7, 2019, hoping for Oscar glory to shine on its prospects of finding a sizeable audience.
