‘Jimmy’ Review: Woozily Seductive Mood Piece Wanders Europe in Pursuit of James Baldwin’s Spirit
Not a documentary and not quite a biopic, Yashaddai Owens' brief, exploratory debut feature feels in touch with its subject despite its oblique approach. “If not me, who?” said actor Billy Porter in a 2024 Guardian interview, explaining the rationale for his plan to direct and star in a biopic of Black queer author and activist James Baldwin.
Reported by 1 outlet — Variety. See all sources ↓
Not a documentary and not quite a biopic, Yashaddai Owens' brief, exploratory debut feature feels in touch with its subject despite its oblique approach. “If not me, who?” said actor Billy Porter in a 2024 Guardian interview, explaining the rationale for his plan to direct and star in a biopic of Black queer author and activist James Baldwin. “Who’s going to tell it better than the Black gay man who embodies that in today’s age?” Porter was right that the movie industry has been unduly slow to engage with Baldwin as a subject and source, relative to white authors of equivalent renown; one presumes, however, that he didn’t know “Jimmy” would premiere later that year. The directorial debut of photographer Yashaddai Owens is no star vehicle, and is only glancingly a character study.
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- Not a documentary and not quite a biopic, Yashaddai Owens' brief, exploratory debut feature feels in touch with its subject despite its oblique approach. “If not me, who?” said actor Billy Porter in a 2024 Guardian interview, explaining the rationale for his plan to direct and star in a biopic of Black queer author and activist James Baldwin.
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- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
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‘Jimmy’ Review: Woozily Seductive Mood Piece Wanders Europe in Pursuit of James Baldwin’s Spirit
Sources1TypeCoverageVariety