A.Y. Greyson

This is a movie about mental illness (although it’s not being marketed in such a way). The protagonist, Levee, psyche has been shattered due to witnessing unfathomable violence at a young age. While the antagonist is more of an oppressive regime where extreme racism rules, i.e. another form of mental illness, from the shystering Jewish agent/producer who only care about making money regardless if it hurts another human being (which is another form of psychopathy), to Ma Rainey herself who’s tough, unwavering, and difficult due to an untold background that we can only assume is equally awful and driven by mobs and mental illness. However, this is where this film falters, despite the title we learn nothing about Ma Rainey and are only offered a snapshot into a single day of her life. Weird. Yes, the performances are strong, however, the screenplay is weak, and it’s not because it’s a two scene movie either. Lots of great movies have been confined to a singular space (Rear Window, Buried, etc). However, this movie lacks purpose and direction, so by the time the third act is full force Levee’s arc becomes questionable and all one can deduce is that he’s snapped due to rejection and a trivial mishap. So what? Why should the watcher care? This “why” is never fully explored and leaves the movie feeling incomplete. The movie is worth a watch if one cares to delve into the many aspects of mental illness, otherwise a book about Ma Rainey might serve as a better form of entertainment.

Plotless movie. Nonexistent arc, random secondary plotlines. Did no one read this screenplay first? Or better yet, was this screenplay generated by a computer? Completely disjointed, with a resolution that had little to do with the beginning. Quite surprised this even got funding.

This movie was horrible and boring. I never understood the hype.

One of my all-time favorite comedies.

I choose to watch this movie simply based upon it's title. Luce (light) à la Lucifer, which led me to believe this would be a horror film of sorts. This movie is dark and slow moving. It's mostly a psychological thriller, where there's little mystery but more like denial from everyone except Octavia's character. Luce is a psychopath. ***Spolier alert*** He's manipulating everyone around him, or at least he's trying. His parents figure out pretty quick what he is, but don't want to upset their household (especially the mom, she's willing to lie for fear of losing her son's love), the principle doesn't care, and his girlfriend is in love, which solely leaves Octavia's character to be the Paul Revere of this story. Everyone is too caught up in the idea of Luce rather that who Luce really is. Now the movie isn't bad per se, but as a developmental editor, I can say the protagonist's characters arc was weak, and as I tell my clients all the time, withholding information doesn't automatically create mystery. I simply wish we could have gotten to know Luce a little better, although I think the very ending when he's running and his making that horrible face is suppose to symbolize who Luce truly is on the inside. It kind of reminded me of Kubuki masks, so props to the writers on that.

Great! Loved every minute of this show! Especially, the ending!