"Passing," based on a 1929 novel by Nella Larsen is stylish, nuanced, and refreshingly smart. Unlike most films that spell everything out for you, "Passing" requires more of an audience. It allows you the freedom to interpret things in your own way. As a result, the film offers an experience unique to the individual viewer.
It essentially tells the story of two light-skinned African American women, Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga), childhood friends who meet by chance as adults. Clare is passing for White while Irene lives mostly as a Black person in Harlem (but passes when it is convenient). Clare, who yearns to reconnect with Irene, threatens Irene's carefully controlled life.
Besides the obvious issue of passing for White, the film deals with questions about sexuality, how context plays into our perceptions of people, and how to discuss race with our children.
Beautifully shot by. Eduard Grau in black & white in a traditional 1.33:1 ratio, it almost looks like we're watching a vintage film. The gifted actor Rebecca Hall, whose African American maternal grandfather, Norman Isaac Ewing actually passed for White (and Native American) in the early to mid-20th century, directs her feature film debut with a sure hand.
A subtle film with an unhurried pace requires your full attention to fully appreciate.
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