Some shadows are impossible to out run
PRAISE: Joe Robert Cole’s “All Day and a Night” is a sobering,stunning and mesmerizing crime drama.
A story of a cycle of life of life that many try to escape from including the movies main character Jahkor (Ashton Sanders) who grows up around violence and is on the receiving end of it from bullies and his father (Jeffrey Wright)
The film broadly displays those that try to escape the circles of violence and drugs and those that embrace it.
Sanders,Wright,Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Big Stunna and Isaiah John as TQ turn in the most intense,unflinching,charismatic and memorable performances.The film also has memorable turns by Kelly Jenrette as Delanda ,Shakira Ja-nai Paye as Shantaye ,Regina Taylor as Tommetta Christopher Meyer as Lanmark and Andrea Lynn Ellsworth as Kim
These performances are coupled with Coles great direction that stand outs in several scenes.One in which that seems like a single shot that is beautiful,exhilarating and haunting.
And even though i knew how the scene would end i was still stunned when the ending of the scene came.
IMO this film is right up there with Boyz n the Hood
Its gripping with some humor,grit,sadness and maybe some kind of hope mixed in together.
It definitely displays how things we experience in youth stay in our souls forever.
PROBLEMS: I felt a few themes could have been fleshed out more in the film.
Scale of 1-10 a 9