Till (2022)

[benbess]

Title: Till

Tagline: Witness the power of a mother’s love.

Genre: Drama, History

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

Cast: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, John Douglas Thompson, Whoopi Goldberg, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, Roger Guenveur Smith, Princess Elmore, Josh Ventura, Ed Amatrudo, Gail Everett-Smith, Brendan Patrick Connor, Tim Ware, Keisha Tillis, Kevin Brown, Bradley King, J.P. Edwards, Jackson Beals, Summer Rain Menkee, Reid Jameson Smith, Mike Dolphy, Ralph Hughes, Ed Sturdivant, Rakeem Massingill, Al Mitchell, Lee Spencer, Njema Williams, Sean Michael Weber, Alyssa Talbot, Euseph Messiah, James Sanders III, Thea Clark, Jamie Renell, Friedman Twinkies, Jonathan D. Williams, Jaylin Webb, Eric Whitten, Diallo Thompson, Cora Maple Lindell, David Caprita, Elizabeth Youman, Charles T. Massey, Angela Yale, Phil Biedron, Carol J. Mckenith, Torey Adkins, Maurice Johnson, Noel Sampson, Brandon P. Bell, Oz Keenum, Destin Freeman, Bree Fyffe, Josh Mendez Sr., Marcus Atkins, Darian Rolle, Brennan Schram, Melina Datta, Blaine Huslig, Ryan Austin Bryant, Richard Nash

Release: 2022-10-14

Runtime: 131

Plot: The true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.

It was difficult to watch this today. The powerful performance by Danielle Deadwyler is worthy of being nominated for an Academy Award from my pov. As you would imagine, it's a good idea to bring some tissues.

 

[JoeStemme]

Historically, when the name 'Till' is cited, it generally refers only to Emmett, the 14 year old boy who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. Chinonye Chukwu's TILL seeks to have audiences also respect the memory of Emmett's proud mother, Mame Till-Mobley.

In many ways, TILL is a fairly straightforward Bio-pic. Chukwu's script (with a pair of co-writers) carefully traces the days leading up to Emmett's (Jalyn Hall) fateful trip from his native Chicago down to Mississippi to visit his cousins. Mame (Danielle Deadwyler) knows the dangers and does her best to warn the teen. As history shows, a tragedy worse than his mother could have possibly imagined occurs when a white woman, Carolyn (Haley Bennett), accuses young Emmett of impropriety. After Emmett''s murder, Mame bravely travels to Mississippi to confront her son's accusers and testify on his behalf.

The film is quite accurate to the events, even if some of the screenplay falls into familiar Bio-pic traps - a certain overly prettified period look, an overblown score and preachy dialogue that speaks from the present day rather than to what was happening then and there. What keeps the movie on track are the performances. Hall is bright and ebullient, Mame's family are strong (including Whoopi Goldberg, who also co-produced the movie) and the other supporting players are equally adept. Still, it's Deadwyler, who is exceptional here. Much of the role requires a certain internal fortitude rather than big showy emotional moments, but Deadwyler is forceful even in the quietest scenes.

The dramatic climax happens even before the trial - Emmett's body is brought back to Chicago for Mame to identify. There is shock and horror, of course, but, Deadwyler also conveys the deep love she had for her son. A mother's love that even death cannot shake. Mame's resolve for the whole world to see the horrors of what happened to her child reverberates to this day. TILL may be a bit conventional, but, Deadwyler's performance and the history that Chukwu highlights give it power.

 

[Alex...]

Till Wins Best Intergenerational Movie At AARP Movies For Grownups Awards.​

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