As busy I get from time to time, I find that I can't see every movie under the sun, leaving my friends and colleagues to fill in the blanks for me. As poetically as I think I wax about movies on this website as a wannabe critic, there are other experts out there. Sometimes, it inspires me to see the movie too and get back to being my circle's go-to movie guy. Sometimes, they save me $9 and you 800+ words of blathering. In a new review series, I'm opening my site to friend submissions for guest movie reviews.
TODAY’S CRITIC: Lafronda Stumn
Lafronda Stumn is a student at Madisonville Community College and intends to graduate with an Associate's degree in Associate of the Arts. She plans on earning a Bachelors Degree in Motion Picture Studies and English at Wright State University. Her favorite Directors are Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Spike Lee, and her favorite actors are Al Pacino, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and Halle Berry. Lafronda contacted this page looking for a place to get published and I enjoy giving people that very kind of opportunity. This is her 31st guest review for Every Movie Has a Lesson. Welcome as always, Lafronda!
HER REVIEW: Miss Juneteenth
Nicole Beharie has gone through many trials and tribulations in her young life. The beginning of her career started off strong with such films as her debut film American Violet, Woman Thou Art Loosed: The Seventh Day, Shame and 42. It forced Beharie to take a sabbatical because of an autoimmune disorder. Beharie, she’s back with in a big way. The comeback of a lifetime with her latest film, Miss Juneteenth.
Beharie stars as Turquoise Jones, a former winner of Miss Juneteenth. She had a scholarship, but because of an unplanned pregnancy. She had to turn the scholarship down. Likewise, her daughter Kai (Alexis Chikaeze) is now of age to compete in the beauty pageant. Despite the opportunity of a lifetime to win an actual scholarship, Kai would rather dance to win a scholarship at her high school. She goes along with what her mother wants. Unfortunately, Kai’s father works at a car shop and is unreliable. Turquoise has been in a dead-end relationship for over a decade and a half.
There are problems with Kai’s dad. Her father constantly does things to be let down by Turquoise and her daughter. Turquoise works as a server at a barbeque hang out. She works as many hours, works many an odd job as possible to pay for her daughter to be in the pageant, including to purchase a beautiful blue prom gown for her daughter to wear at the pageant. Besides, Turquoise, disillusioned by her dead-end relationship with her baby daddy. Turquoise has an eye on a black professional who sees Turquoise has been treating poorly by her baby daddy. Turquoise tries to decide on her future with her boyfriend and sacrificing for a better future for her only child.
Standout scenes are when mother and daughter talk about which college they should go while at the local laundry mat. Another pleasant scene is when Kai attempts to recite a Maya Angelou poem to great effect. Also, there is an eye-opening scene is when Kai is taught etiquette for Miss Juneteenth contestants and Kai has a few missteps and the others laugh at her. An affecting scene reveals the flaws of her mother, who asks her granddaughter and Turquoise to come to bible study. There is a rocky relationship between Turquoise and her mother. Turquoise agrees to go to bible study. What happens next is precisely, why Turquoise mother and daughter's relationship is not as close as it should be. Lastly, Turquoise has an altercation with the baby daddy and her new potential love interest who is a Mortician.
I enjoyed the chemistry between Beharie and Chikaeze. Audiences don’t see many mother/daughter relationships portrayed in the movies in this way. The mother/daughter scenes are effective and shows a lot of empathy between the two, with us versus the world mentality. Turquoise perceive herself and Kai with an against the world to struggle to make a better life for her daughter. Beharie and Chikaeze give wonderful performances. They are other characters in this film but Turquoise and Kai relationship is the primary reason to see this film. There are predictable character arches for Turquoise regarding her love life and the relationship with her boss and her mother. Overall, the performances by Beharie and Chikaeze is what works the most.
RATING: ***
CONCLUSION
Thank you again, Lafronda! You are welcome anytime. Friends, if you see a movie that I don't see and want to be featured on my website, hit up my website's Facebook page and you can be my next GUEST CRITIC!
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