Hello everyone, before we dive into this review, I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Laura, I’m a massive film fan and Harry very kindly asked me if I wanted to share my thoughts on this film with you. So of course, I said yes. I hope you don’t mind reading someone else’s opinions. Anyway, on to the review.
Queen and Slim’s first date takes an unexpected turn after an altercation with a police officer turns deadly. Queen and Slim are forced to flee the scene and what follows is a race against time and the authorities to get out of the country. Whilst on the run, they discover that a video of the incident has gone viral and they have now become a symbol for many across the country to rise up against the fear, pain and grief that can be caused by the American police.
As a Cineworld unlimited member, you receive several perks but one of the best has to be their secret screenings. The secret screenings mean that we never know what we are about to see until the title card appears on screen. As you can imagine this can have some negative consequences if you have no idea what the film is and I was more than ready to leave but I ended up getting an incredibly moving piece of cinema about the corruption of the American police system and the effects it has on innocent people. This film’s message is incredibly clear and it is, I’m sad to say, still incredibly relevant today. It feels like almost every day we hear of police brutality and shootings in the US. The most powerful element of this film is the fact that the story is told through Queen and Slim’s eyes the whole way through. The only time you see the opinion of the police is through newspapers and a news report on television. This film poses many questions to its audience but the main question you will have throughout the film is will they or won't they escape? Queen and Slim is incredibly powerful but it’s not without its flaws. Here are my thoughts.
The most compelling part of this film is the two lead performances from Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith. Both Queen and Slim are incredibly complex characters, coping with the moral dilemma of running from the scene in different ways. Turner-Smith is phenomenal as Queen who has such a complex past and a very guarded personality that it takes a little while to warm up to her but once her defences break down and she realises that their altercation has gone viral you begin to understand her reasons and finally begin to sympathise with the character. All of this is elevated by a brilliantly understated performance by Turner-Smith. The clear stand out of this film, however, is Kaluuya. Building on his incredible performance in Jordan Peele’s Get Out (2017), Kaluuya establishes himself as a clear talent and Slim is one of the most compelling characters ever created for film. As the character goes through a rollercoaster of emotions, Kaluuya will make you cry, laugh and feel so sorry for Slim by the end of the film. The characters also give us a great level of empathy too, seeing them on their journey, meeting new people along the way helps to allow us to understand them, their emotions and them as a character, I especially loved the ending where we see the emotional responses from everyone they met too, this really helps to tie them all together well - and brings a meaningful end to the film which feels really powerful. The characters are awesome, and feel really engaging and immersive
In terms of the plot, the film is predictable. They have an altercation, go on the run and then end up in several tense situations where their identities may be revealed and they may be caught. The film is powerful and the plot is driven by this message. One of the standout moments of this film features Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Junior. A young boy that Queen and Slim meet along the way, who feels he has to follow in their footsteps. What he goes on to do will break your heart as no child or teenager should ever feel the need to do that. I also have to mention Tat Radcliffe for the incredibly beautiful cinematography that causes you to completely lose yourself in this world. I must admit though, I love the level of intensity that the film brings though, fast paced escape scenes bring a really exciting and engaging feeling to the film, as well as the constant feeling that all the characters are on the run - this really keeps the whole film feeling exciting, because we have a subconscious clock in the back of our mind which feels like it counts down whenever they slow down or take a break, and really helps to get us excited about what is happening in the film. The film also challenges the strong racist message too, which feels like it gives the film a real purpose, this purpose mixed with an exciting and immersive story line helps to make the film feel great.
As I said earlier, this film isn’t without its flaws, the main issue I had with the film was the run time. Clocking in at 2 hours and 12 minutes, the film begins to drag after about 1 hour and 45 minutes. There were several shots that I believed were the closing shots of the film but I was wrong. I feel the film could have been cut down as it started off really fast paced with compelling scenes and dialogue but as we get to the end of the journey, we have met too many people and have just started to slow down. I think if the edit was tighter the film would be perfect.
Overall, I would give this film an 8/10. Its compelling, contemporary and very moving but it does suffer from a pacing issue that takes you out of the bigger picture for a moment or two.
And that’s my opinion of Queen and Slim. Thank you for reading my review, I hope it gave you an insight into the film and even given you an idea of if you would like to see it when it is released here in the UK on January 31st 2020. Have a lovely day and I’ll see you next time. If you would like to keep up with the latest reviews and insights on Film talk then head over to the official Facebook page, I’ll leave the link below. Thanks again for reading. Film Talk Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Film-Talk-605719843173698/
Comentários