I have a soft spot in my film-watching habits for Indie movies. I know I’ve discussed this in other reviews, but oftentimes I feel that Indie films have the greatest ability to tell new, moving stories that we just don’t often get from major studios. We often also find that these films do more with so much less, and that only adds to the charm of the film. A Thousand and One, from Focus Features and directed by A.V. Rockwell, is certainly one such film. Between nearly flawless acting to a deeply compelling story and excellent direction, I was hugely impressed upon finally being able to see this film.
A Thousand and One follows Inez, a 20-something woman who has just gotten out of Riker’s Island Penitentiary, who comes home to her son living in foster care. She takes it upon herself to remove the young boy from the foster home, and what follows are their trials and tribulations as a family as the two, along with husband Lucky, try to navigate the ins and outs of their lives.
What impressed me most while watching the film was just how raw and real the acting was. I have to give a ton of credit to Teyana Taylor in the lead role of Inez. She excellently captured the struggles of her character and of those living in the inner city of New York as a whole, acting well beyond her years both literally and figuratively. She has certainly jumped to the top of my short list for this year’s “Best Actress” nominees.
In addition, I was equally as impressed with Josiah Cross and Willaim Catlett, who played older Terry and Lucky respectively. Their performances, specifically when playing off each other, provide the necessary dynamic the film needed to stay grounded.
A Thousand and One also succeeded tremendously in depicting the struggles that black people living in places like Harlem go through. From severe economic struggles to the struggles that families go through when they get torn apart, it was very impressive the scope the filmmakers were able to capture. I can’t pretend to know the struggles they face daily, but the film does a great job of giving audiences a glimpse of that kind of life. The normal day-to-day of the film is intercut with B-roll of the city with the voiceover of major political speeches of the era, which do well to plant the viewer in the seat of the main characters.
With all the good though, the film did have its struggles. The first hour of the film tended to drag, which almost took me out of it when watching. Considering how it’s almost 2 hours long, it was almost detrimental to the film. I say almost because the performances help carry the film forward, especially that of Taylor. The story is interesting but carries on in this first section longer than it needed to.
It just felt like so much focus was spent on the first section of the film, which is a shame because the final act of the film is nearly perfect cinema. The final third was gripping, deep, introspective, emotional, and damn-near perfect in every way. I found myself feeling so deeply connected to the characters that I had seen grow over the course of the film that when various climaxes play out, I felt everything the characters did on screen.
Final Thoughts
It’s not often that a film will leave me speechless when it ends. It’s harder still to leave a lasting impact on audiences that make you go back and think about what you saw. Now, I will caution that A Thousand and One is not for everyone. It will leave you hurting and broken at the end. It will have you thinking deeply about how life is for those who are less privileged. The twists the story takes hurt like a gut punch from Mike Tyson. That said, it’s so well done that it is worth every second of screentime.
