Directed by Melina Matsoukas
Where & When: AMC Sunset 5, West Hollywood, CA. December 1. 2019 8:30 PM
Some have casually referred to "Queen & Slim" as a "Black Bonnie & Clyde". But that assessment of this film is not only inaccurate but somewhat insulting. This vividly rendered and compellingly told story does feature an African-American couple, almost complete strangers, who are involved in a violent crime which results in the death of a police officer and become fugitives running from the law, committing other crimes in the process. However, these two are not hardened criminals or thrill-seekers but young professional folks who find themselves caught up in a situation triggered by systemic racism.
While at the film's core is actually a love story, director Melina Matsoukas, best known for her work in commercials and music videos, most notably with Beyoncé, and writer Lena Waithe, the Emmy-Award winner of "Master of None" and creator of "The Chi" (both making their feature film debuts), also have something richer and deeper they want to say with "Queen & Slim" about the Black experience in America, exploring the themes of racial inequality, injustice and police brutality.
When we first meet the couple (we are not given their actual names until near the the end of the film), they are sitting in a Cleveland diner on a date set-up through Tinder. "Queen" (Jodie Turner-Smith), a criminal defense attorney, suffered a bad outcome on one of her cases and divulges to her date, "Slim" (Daniel Kaluuya), who is between jobs, that the only reason she agreed to go out with him was for a distraction. Without much in common, the two struggle to connect. He is calm, laid back and devout with Queen tending to be prickly, impatient and a non-believer.
As Slim drives Queen home, she begins to warm up to him although it still seems unlikely they will have a second date. Colored lights soon begin flashing behind the car, summoning them to pull over. The police officer (country musician, Sturgill Simpson), claiming that Slim was driving erratically, seems determined to find some reason to arrest the couple. After having Slim get out in to the frigid night and open the trunk, the officer rummages through the car. Freezing, Slim asks if the cop could hurry up. This triggers the officer to pull out his gun, demanding him to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. Fed-up and infuriated, Queen gets out of the car demanding his badge number, pulling out her phone to record this incident. As the gun is pointed in her direction, a fight between the men ensues and the officer is accidentally shot.
Knowing full well that no one will believe their version of the story nor get a fair chance in the legal system, the couple reluctantly decide to get on the road to run. And where will they run to is what begins their riveting cross-country journey with these two very different people having to trust and rely on each other in order to have a fighting chance for survival.
In this day in age, cameras are everywhere which makes it incredibly difficult for anyone to really hide. And it's not long before the police are on their trail and their faces are plastered all over the news. After a few close calls, the couple make it to New Orleans to hide out at the house of Queen's Uncle Earl (Bokeem Woodbine). As a pimp by trade, Earl doesn't want to get involved, especially with cops in hot pursuit. But after Queen cryptically reminds him that he owes her, he arranges a new car and a contact in Florida who can help get them to Cuba.
Waithe met James Frey, the controversial author best known for "A Million Little Pieces" which initially he claimed to be a memoir before it was revealed that he had fabricated part of the novel, at a party where he pitched her this idea he couldn't write. She went to work on a script (and giving Frey a story credit) that solidly features a thrilling adventure and provocative romance while also deeply rooted with the long simmering struggles of the African-American community.
Matsoukas first worked with Waithe on the Emmy-Award winning episode she co-wrote for "Master of None" and was approached to direct "Queen & Slim". With an extensive body of work directing videos and television, she was more than ready to do a feature film. It should be no surprise that Matsoukas displays a confident visual style with the help of cinematographer, Tat Radcliffe by merging a few flashy techniques usually found in music videos. But these showy additions don't distract from the narrative and actually help to heighten the director's overall bold vision.
Following his dazzling performances in "Get Out", "Widows" and "Black Panther", Mr. Kaluuya's role of Slim might be low-key but he provides the film warmth as a man guided by his deep faith, never losing the belief that they will make it through their ordeal. With her first major film role, Ms Turner-Smith, a former model, holds her own as a young woman filled with rage over the continuing injustice in our society yet begins to soften after finding her own sense of faith. While on the run, we see a shift in these characters as they let down their guard, allowing themselves to open up and have meaningful conversations. And from that we see them appreciating the beauty around them, a willingness to explore new experiences and building a profound bond that blossoms in to love.
Some may not like the pointed politics of "Queen & Slim" and that is okay as far as I'm concerned. Without any apprehension about not playing it safe or possibly aliening some in the audience, Matsoukas and Waithe clearly wanted to make a film that stirs anger, resentment and grief while also delivering a sense of pride and hope for African-Americans. And they have succeeded in rousing these emotions over the course of this tragic, sweeping tale with a work that makes a powerful statement with daring urgency, lyrical vision and dramatic impact.
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