Mark Gillogly

I liked it for the following reasons: 1. It was James Baldwin 2. It was photographed as if it was an homage to James Baldwin (e.g. "for Jimmy" first credit); 3. the screen shots and the close-ups (like these) are always worth sitting through IMHO. I study faces everywhere I go; apparently, so does the director of this film. 4. Religiosity and internal rage of Fonny's mother coupled with the naïveté of the two adult sisters (plus the dad's spectacular violence) suggests the possibility of a whole new script. 5. Regina King has become a formidable actor. She anchored that story with her character, the lines, and her delivery. That's what character actors do. Since her sit-com days, Ms King really has earned that Oscar. Consider this: when she was on TV (with unforgettable Marla Gibbs) the script writers didn't give Regina King anything to do on that show except: "go to your room"; "do your homework" and "stay away from Calvin".