9/10
Rest in power, Chadwick Boseman.
This was his final curtain call.
I absolutely loved the style of this movie as it felt like a stage production in how it had limited settings and characters. The recording studio was the focal location and I especially appreciated that it was set in 1927 Chicago. It was almost Shakespearian with the dialogue and had acts similar to how a play would.
August Wilson is a fantastic playwright and you might also know his other works, especially the stage and film production, Fences.
The dialogue between the characters was smooth and flowed like music. There were so many powerful monologues that were saturated with symbolism and depth.
Excellent costume design as well as hair/makeup. The era was well captured in the outfits and had raw realistic qualities. Runny mascara and sweat - you could feel how hot the Chicago recording studio was, especially with how that this was a time when electric fans were much more common than A/C.
Ma Rainey, the “Mother of the Blues”, was such an influential blues musician and someone that I had never heard of until watching this movie. Viola Davis delivered such an applaud-worthy performance with her singing and raw personality as "Ma".
Chadwick Boseman was phenomenal and delivered such a strong, passionate character.
It was a great history lesson as far as the origins of the blues go, and especially since there was so much happening in Chicago. I'm very fortunate to live close by to some of the top blues clubs in the city and have such a soft spot for those venues. I'm particularly excited that some of the clubs are bouncing back from the pandemic. Can't wait to go back to the Kingston Mines!
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