Till

Till is essential but deeply harrowing viewing.

It follows the events and aftermath of the lynching of young Emmet Till and the dogged pursuit of justice by his mother.

As you can imagine, the story is incredibly disturbing. It is not an easy watch at all. It is important to note that the violent acts themselves are not shown on screen, however the truly shocking aftermath is shown and this is an image that will never leave you.

I don't think much more needs to be said about the story. It speaks for itself and is full of impact, feeling, raw emotion, and power.

This is backed up by the brilliant performances. Jayln Hall is superb in capturing the boyish charm and excitement of young Emmett. But really this film is all about Danielle Deadwyler as his mother, Mamie. She is superb. Her performance will break your heart.

An essential film that must be watched.

You've seen it all before, but that doesn't make this film a chore, it's important to remember, there was a world without defenders, when murderers roamed free, taking lives with so much glee, all protected by the courts, in Mississippi there was no retort.

The brutal execution of Emmett Till replayed and relayed through an outstanding cast, but none quite as incredible as Danielle Deadwyler's heartfelt performance of the lynched boy's mother who's quest for justice is unsurprisingly quenched, but goes on to form part of the momentum of the time to initiate the changes required in the struggle of the African American (and others) for equality, justice and fairness.

There was a bit of a dust up after the 2022 Oscar nominations were announced and neither Viola Davis (for "The Woman King") or Danielle Deadwyler (for "Till) had made it onto the final list for Best Actress. Both actresses were vocal about their disappointment and were quick to accuse the academy (and industry at large) of racism. I rolled my eyes a bit at Viola Davis, not because I don't think racism is as much a problem in Hollywood as anywhere else, but because of her particular example. Davis has been nominated four times and won once. Who knows what parts she is or isn't getting because she's a black woman, but it certainly doesn't seem like the industry is shunning her. Plus there was nothing Oscar worthy about "The Woman King," Davis included.

I hadn't seen "Till" at the time, so I didn't have an opinion. But now that I have, it does seem pretty egregious that Deadwyler was overlooked, especially when Michelle Williams made it in for her mannered and nearly bad performance in "The Fabelmans," which had the additional insult of not even feeling like a leading role. Was Deadwyler excluded because of anti-black sentiment, or was it just that she's a relatively unknown actress in a downer movie not many people wanted to watch? I don't know. But what I do know is that she is sensational in the movie, and is easily its best asset.

This is a hard, hard movie to watch. It does not shrink from the horror of what happened to Emmett Till, but it also manages to avoid exploitation vibes. Deadwyler is fierce as Till's mother, who took her grief and rage and channeled it into championing the civil rights movement, probably to keep from going insane from the injustice. This movie made me so angry, and gave me no outlet for my anger. It's stomach churning that the people who murdered Emmett Till, including the woman who falsely accused him of misconduct, never faced any consequences for their actions. And one thing I liked most about the movie is its refusal to cast Till's mother as a saintly do-gooder who's able to rise above her anger and find forgiveness. She doesn't forgive anybody. She wants revenge on the people who murdered her son, but knows she can't get it, at least not in the way she would like to. That felt much more human to me than idealizing her as a martyr.

I can forgive people for not wanting to watch this, because we all know the outcome in advance and it's so depressing. And I sat on it for quite a while before I mustered up the energy to pop it in. But I was glad I did.

Grade: A.

Greetings again from the darkness. Don't look away. Whether referring to Mamie Till-Mobley telling family members to look at the disfigured boy in the casket, or to the general counsel to all citizens in this day of division, the sentiment is the same ... see with your own eyes so that you understand the injustice. Writer-director Chinonye Chukwu (CLEMENCY, 2019) and her co-writers Michael Reilly and Keith Beauchamp allow us to see the tragic story of Emmett Till through the eyes of his mother, and it's a powerful approach. It's Mr. Beauchamp who has diligently researched this story for almost 25 years, and was the driving force behind the 2005 documentary, THE UNTOLD STORY OF EMMETT LOUIS TILL.

The film certainly benefits from the powerhouse performance of Danielle Deadwyler (THE HARDER THEY FALL, 2021) as Mamie Till-Mobley. Mamie's love and concern for her 14-year-old son Emmett (a terrific Jalyn Hall) is only surpassed by her strength and dignity after his death ... and all of this is masterfully portrayed by Ms. Deadwyler in her surefire Oscar contending role. We see just enough of young Emmett to realize he's a well-raised, considerate, and fun-loving boy who sometimes stutters. He's so excited for his trip from Chicago to Mississippi to meet some of his relatives, while seeing and doing new things. It's 1955, and Mamie tries to caution Emmett on the differences between their world at home and the southern world he's about to enter.

There are varying accounts of what Emmett actually did or didn't do to Money, Mississippi store clerk Carolyn Bryant (played by Haley Bennett, SWALLOW, 2019), but the shock of seeing Emmett's disfigured face and body is handled brilliantly here, and though the actual violence occurs off screen, the impact remains. Against all of her motherly protective instincts, Mamie seizes the power of the moment to have a photograph taken and demand an open casket so that the world can witness the result of the atrocity. Her ability to think clearly catapulted the case to national attention, and allowed Emmett Till to become a name and example that is still studied today.

The supporting cast includes Frankie Faison (Mamie's father), Whoopi Goldberg (Mamie's mother), Sean Patrick Thomas, Tosin Cole (as Medgar Evers), John Douglas Thompson, and Jayme Lawson. The trial of the men accused of beating and killing Emmett plays a part here, but the only real courtroom drama occurs when Mamie takes the stand. It's in that moment when Ms. Deadwyler truly shines and allows us to feel a mother's pain and disgust. Afterwards, we get a taste of her activism ... something she continued until her death in 2003 at age 81. Filmmaker Chukwu benefits from the performance of Deadwyler and the years of research by Mr. Beauchamp, and she delivers a film that allows us to experience a dark moment in history from a different perspective - the eyes of a mother.

Opens in theaters on October 21, 2022.

It's 1955 Chicago. Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) is a widower trying to protect her son Emmett (Jalyn Hall) from everyday racism. She is concerned as Emmett joins relatives in Mississippi for vacation. Sure enough, his interaction with a white woman leads to his lynching.

I don't want to be insensitive, but this movie is not really doing anything new. There isn't much that I didn't know before. It's interesting that they show the whistle. Mostly, I am concentrating on the performance of Danielle Deadwyler and her lost of the Oscar nomination. I've seen all the nominees at this point. I think I can have her replace Michelle Williams. Deadwyler is mostly doing stoic dignity with a couple of big acting scenes. Williams is doing good work, but she's not the lead in the movie. Both are great performers. Deadwyler has the bigger role.