Movie review: Stellar Sundancefest-winning AThousandOne more of a heartbreak letter than a love letter to New York
"A Thousand and One" -- ★ ★ ★ ½ There is a dread that hovers over"A Thousand and One," writer-director A.V. Rockwell's remarkably vivid and tender debut feature about a mother and son in New York in the 1990s.
"A Thousand and One" drops you into New York in 1994 as a young 20-something Inez returns to Harlem after 18 months behind bars in Rikers. From the first low angle shot of her walking through the neighborhood, in a striking red crop top tank, hair parted slickly to the side to Gary Gunn's catchy and defiantly anti-sentimental score, you have an acute sense of this character . This is not a timid wallflower. She is confident, determined and not to be trifled with.
Will Catlett plays Terry's dad Lucky in the Sundance-winning"A Thousand and One." - Courtesy of Focus Features by signing up you agree to our terms of service Yet the question of why she won't, or can't, go through the system lingers and haunts everyone for the next 11 years: Inez, Terry, who gets a new name and papers, and Lucky , Inez's on-and-off partner and Terry's father.
Throughout, his relationship with Inez remains complex. There are moments of harmony and tenderness, pain, disagreements and disappointments -- especially in what he perceives as her inability to keep Lucky around and in their lives. You empathize some with Terry, but Inez is the one that captures your heart. She may not be a storybook mother, all songs and soft words, but she's a fiercely loyal warrior, the one you'd want going to bat for you in any variety of situations.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Con Edison celebrates 200 years powering New York - New York Amsterdam NewsCon Edison is celebrating its 200th anniversary of energizing New York City, marking two centuries of powering one of the most iconic cities in the world.
Read more »
‘Dungeons & Dragons,’ ‘A Thousand and One’ top new film releases'Spinning Gold,' 'Tetris,' 'His Only Son,' 'Rye Lane' also are hitting screens this week.
Read more »
How one New York brewery is using oysters to save local reefsThe Billion Oyster Project has restored 100 million oysters to New York Harbor and has a larger goal of restoring 1 billion oysters to the harbor by 2035.
Read more »
Federal judge clears New York to issue cannabis licenses in all regions but oneLawsuit is narrowed to the Finger Lakes region, while the state will issue licenses for the Western, Central, Mid-Hudson and Brooklyn regions.
Read more »
9 organizations team up to form Jewish Security Alliance of New York-New JerseyNine organizations serving the Jewish community are coming together to help shore up security at Jewish institutions in the Tri-State Area.
Read more »
Putnam ranked New York's healthiest county, Bronx comes in last, according to new studyResearchers considered length and quality of life, physical environment, as well as social and economic factors.
Read more »