Clair-obscur

"We're all passing for something or other, aren't we?" Irene (Tessa Thompson)

Director Rebecca Hall's successful full-length debut, Passing, shows her artistic inclination to depict women on the verge of breaking away. Irene is a Black woman in the 1920's who could "pass" for white but just spends some time in the white world, being served and accepted in part because she is light skinned.

Now, her friend from her youth, Clare, consciously passes for white, and marries a racist who would kill if he knew his wife were Black. Although nothing shattering happens through most of the story, the racial divide is pronounced between white uptown and Harlem, where Irene and her husband, Brian, a doctor, live in a brownstone with a black maid and the two children he tries to prepare for a racist world they have yet to overcome.

As Clare continues to mingle with Irene's Black social life, Irene quietly assesses Clare's free-spirit and seems gently attracted to Clare. Yet, those feelings are Hall's quiet way of emphasizing the multifaced societal changes in a now truly reconstructed way.

Hall uses a crisp black and white image to accentuate the stark racial differences and the sterile laboratory-like world of incremental societal change. It's also an effective period enhancer. The title "Passing" carries multiple meanings fraught with the dark and light of good clashing with evil.

I couldn't help thinking of Fitzgerald's Gatsby, himself an interloper having romantic notions ill-suited to a society he crashes with dire consequences. Hall has caught the ironies and ambiguities of a society in change.

It isn't all pretty but generally a gorgeous palette with which promising neophyte Hall paints. Isn't it the truth: "I'm beginning to believe that no one is ever completely happy, free, or safe"? Irene

One of the best movies of the year.

"Passing" is an admirable freshman directorial effort from actress Rebecca Hall, but the film feels too tightly controlled to ever fully come alive.

Ruth Negga (looking a bit like Joan Blondell) and especially Tessa Thompson give strong performances as two old friends and maybe more who run into each other again in New York City after years apart. Negga's character is passing for white and has married a vile biggot. Thomspson's character is in a sexless marriage with a doctor and is living a well to do life in Harlem. The act of passing in a racial context is the catalyst for the movie's plot, but the film explores the ways in which all of us are passing for something. It asks the question: Can those we love ever truly know us, and further, can we ever truly know ourselves?

A large number of Americans right now seem to be having trouble dealing with reality as it actually exists, so I thought a movie about people creating their own realities in an effort to make their lives better, or at least more comfortable, would feel more immediate and tuned in to the times. But Hall keeps such tight control of the reins that the film can't breathe. It's like she wanted so much to avoid any missteps with this sensitive issue that she inadvertently sucked the life out of it.

Still, the movie does have some things to recommend it. I've mentioned the performances, but it also looks gorgeous, filmed in pristine black and white by Eduard Grau. I'm excited to see what Hall does next, because she has a terrific eye. She just needs to relax.

Grade: B.

It's beautiful and stylish but it's disappointing. It has a really interesting idea and seems promising at first but then takes a stupid boring turn. In spite of some powerful lines, the screenplay is dull. Performances are very good. It has some good parts but it's flawed, it's a missed opportunity.

Passing had me worried going in. With Rebecca Hall's directorial debut, this seemed like something that could go well or horribly wrong. What we've all learned from this is that Rebecca Hall is no longer just a good actress, but also a director. A novel adaption, the film follows the unexpected reunion of two high school friends, whose renewed acquaintance ignites a mutual obsession that threatens both of their carefully constructed realities. There's a lot to digest here. The script is really thought provoking. It deals with race, gender, sexuality, and much more - sometimes even without mentioning it. Today's climate has evolved so much since the 20s (I believe it's the 20s), but this all still feels so relevant. Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga give incredible performances. Truly some of the best work they've done. André Holland has a supporting role that he also does well with. Every frame has something to say, whether it's symbolic or straightforward. The use of gorgeous black and white cinematography at a 4:3 aspect ratio speaks so much. The production design is pleasing to look at along with the costumes. It's a really beautiful film to look at. I liked Passing a little more than most. Some have felt the slowness is too much and that it's too quiet. I did think it take a minute to get into but I thought this was extremely well made. A minor issue I had was with the sound. They all talk so quietly that it can be hard to hear sometimes. Hall explained during the Q&A that she intended it to be quiet, but it could've used more work. Honestly, I think we have an early awards contender for next year. The film speaks about race in a way no other has.

The film opens with a scene in a hotel bar where Irene (Tessa Thompson), whilst trying to hide her real colour, bumps into Clare (Ruth Negga). The story is about both of them trying to reconnect and all the racial differences bringing them together but also driving them apart. This story paints a picture of the systemic bigotry that existed 100 years ago and still exists today. Plot and narrative are straightforward and the acting (Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga but also Alexander Skarsgård) was so good that you could feel the emotions. Filmed in black and white, this contributed to the whole story. Movie starts very good but is a bit slow paced. However this did not bother me. I guess you have to see the movie without prejudice to appreciate it. No good can come from hiding who you are, or from a society that gives you the reason to.