Waves

Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Sterling K. Brown, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Neal Huff, Clifton Collins Jr., Bill Wise, Harmony Korine
Directed by: Trey Edward Shults
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows a middle class African-American family as they struggle with the ups and downs of life.

Review:

Tim: I really enjoyed Trey Edward Shult's Waves. The movie looked good, so I'm not so surprised at that, but I'm a bit surprised how good the movie was when I think about Shult's previous effort. It Comes at Night was well-received critically, but I just didn't see it. I disliked his film. You can understand why I might have some trepidation going into another well-received movie of his. Fortunately, this time I agree with the critics.

Waves doesn't have the level of emotional intensity needed to launch it into the top stratosphere of great movies, but it gets pretty close. It wasn't nominated for any of the big Hollywood awards- no Academy Awards, not even any Golden Globes. That probably is accurate- it's a thoroughly well made movie, but it falls just below the threshold of greatness. Still, I don't want to take anything away from this movie.

The movie follows a middle class black family, which automatically is a positive. We see far too few films like this and I really appreciated the diverse cast. The film seems to treat these characters as complex people first, but race has to enter into the picture. It takes a more subtle approach to race than similar movies, but it doesn't avoid the issue. When I think about the characters, I think about the relationships dynamics that spur many of the film's events. Race is a background to this- an important factor, absolutely- but not the main focus. We need more movies like this in 2019/2020 (when I watched the film).

The movie does a good job of introducing these characters and then just giving us so much time with them. The character development is outstanding and you really begin to feel like you know these people, almost as if you're part of the family. These people are complex, but Shults approaches that in subtle ways. He manages to present these characters in a light that feels authentic- there's the surface that we see, but vast depths beneath that. The cast certainly plays a big role in this, but Shults deserves credit for letting his characters breathe. Shults also presents the film in a manner where you're always feeling this low level grade of paranoia. I knew some bad things had to happen, but I didn't know what, and I didn't know to whom. This creates a small amount of dread that never fully leaves you. Even in the happier times in these characters' lives, I was worried about whether that was fleeting, whether the happiness was just a set up to something worse. I think that's the point of the movie. Some of my worries were unfounded, but you do feel like you're in the ocean watching this movie- you get hit by a few big waves and even when the waters are somewhat calm, you're always keeping an eye for the next one. Shults does a good job of creating this atmosphere in his film.

The cast was so good. Kelvin Harrison Jr. takes center stage for the first half of the movie and he does a fantastic job. Watching him, I couldn't help but wonder what my son will be at that age, and what my relationship with him will be. Harrison conveys so much of the fragility of being a boy on the edge of manhood and struggling with that transition. He's really, really effective. Sterling K. Brown gives a stunning performance as well. I thought he could have been nominated for something, because he really gives a powerful performance that resonates throughout the film and after. I loved how he approached his character- it would have been so easy to allow him to become a caricature. Brown never lets this happen. His performance breathes complexity and care into this complicated human being. Taylor Russell was strong, too. Her lift really takes place in the second half of the film. You have to give her a ton of credit for stepping into the limelight after we've grown close to other characters and grab our attention like she does. I really did care about her character and worried about her throughout the last half of the film. I enjoyed Renee Elise Goldsberry. She had a few nice scenes, but it felt like the script didn't give her enough opportunities. Her character was fascinating, but is relegated to the sidelines. Lucas Hedges was excellent. I'm so impressed with Hedges- he's delivered so many remarkable performances in his young career. He could be one of the all-time great actors. He was fantastic yet again here. I liked seeing Clifton Collins, Jr., but I wish he had more to do. As a whole, though, you have to applaud loudly for this cast.

Waves is a beautiful movie and a very difficult one to watch. I could see myself revisiting it someday, but it would have to be many years from now. I'm still reeling a bit from the experience. Shults deserves a ton of credit for crafting a film that feels authentic and draws us into these characters' lives.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: It Comes at Night, Hamilton