Barry Jenkins stunned the film community with his powerful and visually arresting movie MOONLIGHT, which went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars in equally stunning fashion. Now he’s back with his new movie, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, and Annapurna has put out the first trailer for the highly-anticipated drama. Based on the book by James Baldwin, the movie follows Tish (Kiki Lane) and Fonny (Stephan James) as they navigate a cruel injustice and fight for love and their future.
The movie is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this year where it is one of the big-ticket items. Alongside Lane and James, the movie boasts an incredible supporting cast including Dave Franco, Regina King, Brian Tyree Henry, Pedro Pascal, Diego Luna, Ed Skrein, and Emily Rios.
Here is the full synopsis:
In this honest and stunning novel, James Baldwin has given America a moving story of love in the face of injustice. Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions–affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche.
Jenkins' new movie looks as emotionally resonant and gorgeous to look at as his last movie, and I think we can expect to hear great things about it when it debuts next month. Here's a man who knows how to film people and set the mood, absorbing you into the characters' world and their struggles. I can't wait to check it out, and be sure to keep an eye out for our review when it shows at TIFF next month!
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK hits theaters November 30.