Exhibiting Forgiveness

This film is powerful, heartfelt, and very thoughtful. The director-writer of this film, Titus Kaphar, is an artist himself, and you see this from the time the film begins. Never have I seen such a cool, artistic integration of the opening credits into the scenery on screen. In addition to being an artist, this is the director's feature film debut, which is a pleasant surprise. This is certainly one of the best directorial debuts in recent years.

What really elevates this film is how raw and true to life it is. Everything from how the characters behave, how they talk, what they wear, the houses they live in, the cars they drive. Because it's so raw, there are many scenes that may be triggering. There are scenes of domestic violence, emotional abuse, panic attacks, loud bangs of things being thrown around in anger, etc. It's one of the best films I've ever seen about dealing with trauma and parental estrangement. It never really felt like I was watching a film. It felt like I was watching a real person's life unfold before my eyes. It's also wonderful to see a high-quality film directed by and starring black people that isn't stereotypical and is accurate to the lives of many black Americans. I don't want to spoil much as this film is best enjoyed blindly; but the abusive parents of the lead character validate their abuse by hiding behind the Bible and Christianity. That's something that obviously occurs in general, but particularly in the black community in the US. The film so beautifully drives home how important it is to work through your trauma, and does so so lushly, without feeling ham-fisted or like a blunt instrument trying to wallop you with the message of forgiving your abusive past. It elegantly and incisively tackles the taboo but important topic of generational trauma, especially in the black community. The only issue the film has is that it can drag at times. There are many overlong scenes of architecture and paintings and the neighborhood landscapes in the film that, while often beautiful and pleasing to look at and supposably left in the film by the director to add to the ambience, don't add much to the film. About 20 mins could've been shaved off the runtime, and this film would've still been amazing.

The acting across the board is top-notch. André Holland, John Earl Jelks, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor turn in excellent performances. Holland is stunning, seamlessly and heartbreakingly portraying Tarrell, a traumatized man trying to move forward and finally find peace in his life; Jelks is convincing and unsettling as the mentally unstable and formerly-drug-addicted abusive father; and Ellis-Taylor is great as the guilt-ridden mother. Even the child actor portraying young Tarrell, Ian Foreman, was good. Child actors can often be mediocre, but Foreman was impressive. Andra Day isn't given much to do acting-wise, but her singing in the film is very nice.

The story is simple but very effective. Doubly so if you've dealt with abuse or trauma. The cinematography is nice, as is the music throughout the film. This is a profoundly moving, heartwrenching, tough, cathartic, and rewarding film. For those who've unfortunately been traumatized by anyone, this film feels therapeutic as we see the protagonist exorcise his inner demons and learn how to move forward in life despite his difficult past. And for those lucky enough to not have experienced trauma, this film provides a stunningly verisimilar portrait of a deeply traumatized man trying to find happiness in life. Highly recommended.

Honestly, I went into watching 'Exhibiting Forgiveness' with no expectations at all. There's a stellar cast here and I figured anything with Aujunue Ellis was bound to be descent. I was so pleasantly surprised by this film that really tackles some taboo subjects in the Black community like drug abuse, physical abuse, generational trauma, religious abuse, etc. It goes in and takes such a realistic look at the grieving process and what forgiveness actually looks like. The dialog was fantastic and this was my first time seeing Andre Holland in a film. POWERHOUSE. Thank goodness this didn't rely on the tropes that we often see in cinema surrounding this subject matter. Very strong feature debut from Titus Kaphur. I can't wait to see him share more of his art with the world.

In his feature film directorial and screenwriting debut, artist Titus Kaphar has confidently created a semi-autobiographical work that deserves a wider audience than it has received. This powerful, unsentimental 2024 film tenderly explores a familiar movie trope, a father-son estrangement, but through an unflinching lens of toxic masculinity, familial rage, and generational trauma. A stellar quartet of accomplished actors fully embodies the often painful story of Tarrell, a burgeoning artist whose father La'Ron, a recovering crack addict, re-enters his life at the behest of his endearing, religious mother Mama Joyce. While Tarrell pushes Joyce to pack her house and move closer to his own family of three, she remains steadfast in realizing a reconciliation that proves devastating for all involved. Still memorable as Kevin in "Moonlight", Andre Holland is riveting as Tarrell as he manages to convey fierce resentment and anger with palpable currents of loss and exhaustion. John Earl Jelks maintains potent gravitas as La'Ron desperate to be forgiven for his past sins, and Andra Day plays Tarrell's musician wife Aisha with economic precision. It's no surprise to me that Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor ("Nickel Boys") handily dominates the film with her gut wrenching performance as Mama Joyce. Special mention should be given to Ian Foreman's heartbreaking turn as young Tarrell in the painful flashback scenes. There are a few flaws. While the details of past traumas are unpeeled effectively, they add marginally less to the story as they function more as reference points. Also, some of Kaphar's dialogue is too on-the-nose to be fully resonant. Regardless, the commitment of the superb cast takes this film to the next level.

If you haven't had any reason to forgive than count yourself lucky & go watch the born identity or oceans 15.. Those who understand this movie will understand its necessary experience in film. Its a movie about life not a movie to forget life. Although i wish for those who brought this narrative to film would have found the ultimate expression of forgivness for their own father... as an autobiographical inference is unavoidable.. i understand the journey is personal.. regardless the experience was important, however gut wrenching some of its content for the experienced.. like a stone pulling you to the bottom of the ocean. I can only hope for those on this journey they find the path to forgiveness so they can learn to float.. God bless the team of creators that had the courage & the stomach to portray this important work in an unapologetic & honest exhibition of the human condition.

No matter what anyone might say, and regardless of how virtuous its impact may be, extending forgiveness to another is nevertheless often difficult. While it's true that the benefits to come from it can be considerable, reaching that point generally requires overcoming significant pain, resentment and disappointment. Such is the case for Tarrell (André Holland), a gifted and successful artist whose work is in great demand. However, the profound artistry behind his paintings stems largely from his difficult upbringing, having been raised mostly by his loving mother, Joy (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), after she booted Tarrell's abusive, drug-addicted father, La'Ron (John Earl Jelks), from their home. Despite the departure of the source of that agony, the pain of Tarrell's existence has lingered ever since, and his painting has served as an important form of de facto therapy. But the roots of his anguish remain, and he has difficulty getting past his past - that is, until his long-absent dad reappears in his life. Trying as it might be, this unexpected reunion presents an opportunity for Tarrell, Joy and La'Ron to work through their ordeal, but are they up to it? That's what writer-director Titus Kaphar's debut feature seeks to do, a story drawn in part from his own experience and featuring paintings created by the filmmaker himself. Through this story, the act of forgiveness is explored from myriad angles, unflinchingly depicting the pain and difficulty involved in achieving it. The picture also shows how the impact of such torment can "unwittingly" extend to others, including ostensibly innocent bystanders like Tarrell's wife, Aisha (Andra Day), who puts her own career as a musician on hold while she attempts to help her husband sort out his issues, a simmering source of strain in their marriage. This is all effectively brought to life through an artistically beautiful, gorgeously photographed production, backed by an emotive and engaging soundtrack. Admittedly, the pacing could use a little shoring up in spots, and the emotional depth that seemingly should have infused the writing for certain scenes doesn't quite reach the peak that it could have, but those drawbacks are well camouflaged by the fine performances of the ensemble, especially Holland and Ellis-Taylor, who deliver some of the best work of their careers. Most importantly, though, "Exhibiting Forgiveness" is definitely a movie with a powerful message, and it makes no effort to conceal it. It drives home its point with forcefulness and clarity, as well as fearless, unapologetic candor, successfully avoiding the pitfall of sugarcoating, soft peddling or sanitizing how challenging a process extending forgiveness can be. We could all learn a lot from that - and, considering the state of affairs in our world these days, it would behoove us if we did.