Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

This a Covid-19 2020 minireview!

“I know what I’m doin’. Let me handle them my way.” – Levee

Number of Times Seen – 1 (20 Dec 2020)

Brief Synopsis – Tensions rise during a recording session between Jazz musicians in Chicago during the 1920.

Bottom Line – Intriguing story that hinges on the amazing dialogue. The characters are slowly developed during the course of the film and we get to see the tension gradually rise in the tone of their voices. The characters are fascinating to listen to due to the various experiences that we learn about their lives. The cast is great and both Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman give powerful performances here. Unfortunately tho, the story itself leaves things a bit too open that causes things to not be as powerful from a storytelling perspective as one might hope for. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Denzel Washington, who produced this film, was a mentor to Chadwick Boseman since his college years. When Denzel Washington received his 2019 AFI Lifetime Achievement Award, Boseman recounted that he was one of nine of Phylicia Rashad’s Howard University acting students for whom Washington paid the full summer-program tuition at the British Academy of Dramatic Acting in Oxford. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)