2019 Sundance Festival: Reviews and Reactions.
Jan 25, 2019 20:06:23 GMT
quetee, rhodoraonline, and 1 more like this
Post by stephen on Jan 25, 2019 20:06:23 GMT
Native Son:
And reviews:
Robert Daniels @ Sundance
NATIVE SON is the truth, a searing examination of racial identity, or what is blackness. Ashton Sanders gives a tremendous performance, inhabiting the varying facets of militancy, punkish rebellion, and slave mentality. HBO has a winner. #sundance
Robert Daniels @ Sundance
NATIVE SON is the truth, a searing examination of racial identity, or what is blackness. Ashton Sanders gives a tremendous performance, inhabiting the varying facets of militancy, punkish rebellion, and slave mentality. HBO has a winner. #sundance
Robert Daniels @ Sundance
Seriously, Rashid Johnson really has crafted a stunning examination of race. It's amazing to begin to really see the visual language of black cinema take form, you do get senses of Moonlight, Get Out, and Spike Lee in NATIVE SON #sundance
Manuel (@ Sundance!)
@bmanuel
NATIVE SON (Dir. Rashid Johnson) Parks & Wright are a potent combo in this contemporary take on the 1940 novel. May not begin with an alarm clanging in the dark and silent room but boy does this still-timely adaptation continue to ring even as its credits roll. #Sundace2019
Kovie Biakolo @ Sundance
@koviebiakolo
#NativeSon: Oh. My. God. Rashid Johnson w/ a gorgeous film, if gruesome in some parts. The dialogue is intentional - thoughtful, cutting, but there is Humphrey. Scenes are arresting + much commentary on race. Weird black kids. Good and bad love. Tragic. #sundance2019
Kovie Biakolo @ Sundance
@koviebiakolo
Director Johnson did Richard Wright’s novel justice. Suzan-Lori Parks killed the screenplay and ASHTON SANDERS and KIKI LAYNE were absolutely everything in this!! Contender for best film IMO. #NativeSon #Sundance2019
Matt Patches @ Sundance
@misterpatches
Rashid Johnson's heartracing adaptation of Native Son proves KiKi Layne and Ashton Sanders are sticking around. Funny, compassionate, deep performers who make the ups and downs of the movie sing. #Sundance2019
Matt Goldberg
@mattgoldberg
NATIVE SON feels like two different movies where the main character doesn’t track, but I really loved Ashton Sanders’ performance. #Sundance
Scott Menzel
@theotherscottm
Native Son - A24 has another hit on their hands. The twists and turns kept me deeply engaged. The story is thought-provoking, complex and profound. Ashton Sanders delivers a tour-de-force Performance. This is the first must-see of Sundance 2019z #NativeSon #Sundance
Eric D. Snider
@ericdsnider
My first movie of #Sundance 2019 (which is my 20th Sundance, I should mention) is NATIVE SON. The press screening is at the same time as the public premiere, and a lot of press went to the public one, but this one is still packed.
Eric D. Snider
@ericdsnider
NATIVE SON: 1940 novel moved to present day. Ashton Sanders (teenage Chiron from MOONLIGHT) is great as a quiet black punk rocker who gets a job working for a rich white family, but the key plot event is handled so clumsily the movie never recovers. #Sundance
Brian Tallerico
@brian_Tallerico
NATIVE SON: A mixed bag of really interesting ideas and some confounding directorial choices that drain the material of energy and rage and emotion. Every other deep ellipsis in the storytelling halts it instead of adding to its rhythm or providing momentum.
Amirose Eisenbach
@amirosie
NATIVE SON: started off as a layered and nuanced slice of life. Haven’t read the book, so didn’t know how off the rails it was about to go in the second half. I admire its style & energy but it didn’t find its footing after the tonal shift. Couldn’t get back into it #Sundance2019
Miriam Bale
@mimbale
NATIVE SON is fascinating. Ashton Sanders moves like Bobby Briggs.
A.A. Dowd
@aadowd
Doing NATIVE SON modern dress is provocative, especially given how disturbingly little the story has to be changed to remain plausible. Otherwise, I'm ambivalent on Rashid Johnson's adaptation, which is strongly acted but structurally iffy. #Sundance2019
NATIVE SON is the truth, a searing examination of racial identity, or what is blackness. Ashton Sanders gives a tremendous performance, inhabiting the varying facets of militancy, punkish rebellion, and slave mentality. HBO has a winner. #sundance
Robert Daniels @ Sundance
NATIVE SON is the truth, a searing examination of racial identity, or what is blackness. Ashton Sanders gives a tremendous performance, inhabiting the varying facets of militancy, punkish rebellion, and slave mentality. HBO has a winner. #sundance
Robert Daniels @ Sundance
Seriously, Rashid Johnson really has crafted a stunning examination of race. It's amazing to begin to really see the visual language of black cinema take form, you do get senses of Moonlight, Get Out, and Spike Lee in NATIVE SON #sundance
Manuel (@ Sundance!)
@bmanuel
NATIVE SON (Dir. Rashid Johnson) Parks & Wright are a potent combo in this contemporary take on the 1940 novel. May not begin with an alarm clanging in the dark and silent room but boy does this still-timely adaptation continue to ring even as its credits roll. #Sundace2019
Kovie Biakolo @ Sundance
@koviebiakolo
#NativeSon: Oh. My. God. Rashid Johnson w/ a gorgeous film, if gruesome in some parts. The dialogue is intentional - thoughtful, cutting, but there is Humphrey. Scenes are arresting + much commentary on race. Weird black kids. Good and bad love. Tragic. #sundance2019
Kovie Biakolo @ Sundance
@koviebiakolo
Director Johnson did Richard Wright’s novel justice. Suzan-Lori Parks killed the screenplay and ASHTON SANDERS and KIKI LAYNE were absolutely everything in this!! Contender for best film IMO. #NativeSon #Sundance2019
Matt Patches @ Sundance
@misterpatches
Rashid Johnson's heartracing adaptation of Native Son proves KiKi Layne and Ashton Sanders are sticking around. Funny, compassionate, deep performers who make the ups and downs of the movie sing. #Sundance2019
Matt Goldberg
@mattgoldberg
NATIVE SON feels like two different movies where the main character doesn’t track, but I really loved Ashton Sanders’ performance. #Sundance
Scott Menzel
@theotherscottm
Native Son - A24 has another hit on their hands. The twists and turns kept me deeply engaged. The story is thought-provoking, complex and profound. Ashton Sanders delivers a tour-de-force Performance. This is the first must-see of Sundance 2019z #NativeSon #Sundance
Eric D. Snider
@ericdsnider
My first movie of #Sundance 2019 (which is my 20th Sundance, I should mention) is NATIVE SON. The press screening is at the same time as the public premiere, and a lot of press went to the public one, but this one is still packed.
Eric D. Snider
@ericdsnider
NATIVE SON: 1940 novel moved to present day. Ashton Sanders (teenage Chiron from MOONLIGHT) is great as a quiet black punk rocker who gets a job working for a rich white family, but the key plot event is handled so clumsily the movie never recovers. #Sundance
Brian Tallerico
@brian_Tallerico
NATIVE SON: A mixed bag of really interesting ideas and some confounding directorial choices that drain the material of energy and rage and emotion. Every other deep ellipsis in the storytelling halts it instead of adding to its rhythm or providing momentum.
Amirose Eisenbach
@amirosie
NATIVE SON: started off as a layered and nuanced slice of life. Haven’t read the book, so didn’t know how off the rails it was about to go in the second half. I admire its style & energy but it didn’t find its footing after the tonal shift. Couldn’t get back into it #Sundance2019
Miriam Bale
@mimbale
NATIVE SON is fascinating. Ashton Sanders moves like Bobby Briggs.
A.A. Dowd
@aadowd
Doing NATIVE SON modern dress is provocative, especially given how disturbingly little the story has to be changed to remain plausible. Otherwise, I'm ambivalent on Rashid Johnson's adaptation, which is strongly acted but structurally iffy. #Sundance2019
And reviews:
Variety says "Ashton Sanders gives a poetic performance as the hero of Richard Wright's novel in an updated version that works — until the novel kicks in."
The Playlist gives it a B-, says its relevance still packs a punch 80 years later.
IndieWire praises Sanders, says that while the adaptation isn't perfect, it still is "powerful filmmaking."
The Playlist gives it a B-, says its relevance still packs a punch 80 years later.
IndieWire praises Sanders, says that while the adaptation isn't perfect, it still is "powerful filmmaking."