A Jazzman's Blues

Tyler Perry is not known for high-quality material, but this movie pleasantly surprised. It was pretty solid until the end.

I was engrossed in the story even if it wasn't necessarily original. The acting was good, the music was pleasant, and the story was compelling enough to keep you engaged while being uncomfortable awaiting the inevitable tragedy to come in the end.

And while you knew a tragedy was coming, you still hoped there was some kind of resolution. There was none. It was just a buildup to a tragedy. So underwhelming. I was surprised at how lacking the ending was. Then I remembered it's a Tyler Perry project, his art is still a work in progress I think it's fair to say.

I have never given Tyler Perry overflowing accolades for any of his cinematic undertakings but I proclaim open heartily this noteworthy feature will stand endlessly in his repertoire. The writing(Which I always felt was rushed in Tyler's assortment of movies), was exceptional! The Casting (Joshua Boone who is a reincarnation of Sam Cooke from voice to appearance with phenomenal acting skills and I can't go without applauding Amirah Vann who's a believable chameleon on every theatrical level from conducting a boardroom to a bluesy matriarch. Too many cast members to thank for giving their all to each character. And last the aesthetically pleasing cinematography that put the viewers right there with every voice.

Set in a rural Georgia town during the 1940s, the story begins with a budding romance between seventeen-year-old Horace John Boyd (Joshua Boone), nicknamed Bayou, and sixteen-year-old Leanne Harper (Solea Pfeiffer). Despite this, there are terrors at every turn for the two African American lovers. For Bayou, the possibility of being lynched, tortured, beaten and killed is real and terrifying. Every day could be his last because of a widely held belief in the concept of a "superior race" that is somehow more intelligent and beautiful. For Leanne, however, those terrors are slightly different. Despite being part of the African American community, she has something that Bayou doesn't: the ability to pass as white. Ultimately, her decision to take advantage of this particular characteristic breaks everything apart.

The film's appeal stems from the fact that it is a character-driven narrative that brings the darkest aspects of human morality to light. I applaud Perry for never losing sight of that and for creating a film that touches upon many aspects of race and identity without being overwhelming.

I have never in my 65 years wanted a movie to to not have a cliched, predictable ending as much as this one! It started with a lot of promise- it wasn't horrible or anything- and how often do we see a movie without a single actor we have seen or heard of before? Seems to me that if Perry had been thinking about this for 27 years or whatever...and I'm not even talking about the logical inconsistencies in the story, since that is so not the point! What is the point of having an imagination, a work ethic, tons of experience in the movie business- yes, I know about Medea but it's not like anyone else was involved in this movie!

I am always skeptical about TP movies but this one was far better than the other ones in my opinion. Even though there were a few cons why I did not give this movie a 10, It is still an enjoyable watch.

Here are the reasons why I did not give it a 10.

Cons: Movie ended with missing parts that could've sent the movie to another level. The father's hate, where does it come from? If Bayou is someone else's son who is he?

The grandfather, yes we get it, he is depraved rapist. Why didn't Bayou do anything about it? And why is Leanne's mother so detached and evil? Couldn't they show us some dialogues between her and Leanne that made her this way?

Why is Leanne so selfish? As if she did not know that they could kill Bayou.

Why is Bayou's brother like that? Did something happened to him that turned him into an addict?

Lastly Why is Bayou so dumb? You know your brother hates you, you go and trust him around you while you are enjoying stardom. Why go back to the place that you know pretty well that they will kill you. Why couldn't he send someone down there and bring his mom to Chicago to live with him?

What type of life is he proposing to Leanne and his white son (which the skin tone is completely confusing btw).

Who is the old woman at the beginning of the movie? What happened to Bayou's people at the aftermath?

Nice try from Tyler Perry tho.