This year, the Atlanta Film Festival took place virtually from 9/17-9/27. We’ll be providing our coverage of the event over the course of the next week, but you can definitely check out all of the highlights on the Atlanta Film Festival’s site here.
“Everybody has a story.” – Prior to the start of this virtual screening, that’s the mantra that writer and director Chris Bailey reminds us of as he introduces us to Curtis, a film centered around a former basketball star (who won’t allow you to forget that he won the City Championship) who suffers from schizophrenia and the relationship he creates with a young man named Dre, who has troubles of his own to overcome. Namely, the fact that he’s no good at basketball, and no one wants him on their team.
Curtis (Dwight Henry) wakes up on a sidewalk with a busted mouth only to discover that he’s missing his championship ring from that fabled city championship game. Dre (Alex Henderson) happens to be strolling by on his bicycle and offers to help, but Curtis shrugs him off. Later on, Dre finds Curtis on the basketball court, sinking shots left and right. Since he saw what led to Curtis waking up on a sidewalk, he offers to help him track down his stolen ring. The only catch? Curtis must agree to teach Dre how to improve as a basketball player. That’s the foundation for the entire story.
Right away, from the first scene, you feel the pain of a hard life and a constant struggle. Mental illness is at the center of this story, and Bailey does a wonderful, albeit heart-wrenching, job of establishing that. The film touches on regret, uncertainty, and adjusting to life as it changes, but in it, there’s also an important message about patience and taking care of those around you. Bailey said the message of this story was for everyone to “be more gentle and patient with each other.” That rings true in just about every scene.
This is a highly emotional watch – it truly is a beautiful story, driven by powerful performances from Henry and Henderson. But, it can be bleak and unsettling. Perhaps that was by design, but I’d say this isn’t one to sit down with a beer and a bag of popcorn to enjoy on a relaxing Friday night. Bailey does a masterful job of making you feel the hopelessness and the pain that Curtis feels. What sticks with me the most is the idea that we’ve all probably walked by people with stories like Curtis and Dre countless times in our lives, and we haven’t even thought twice about it.
The cinematography was sharp – it’s based in and was filmed in Detroit. So, there’s plenty of rundown buildings in the background, plenty of bleak colors, etc.. But every now and then, there’s a sudden burst of sunshine or a close-up shot of vibrant green grass. I found that to be reflective of the story itself. There was so much that was flawed, yet every now and then, you’d see something that filled you with a sense of hope that things could get better. The scene showing Curtis drinking in the park alone was *chef’s kiss.*
Also, the sound was totally on point. There was a lot of quiet ambience in the movie. You’d hear the sounds of the city, lonely echoes of an empty school, sirens at the police station, old heads talking basketball at the court. That really set the vibe of the entire film and gave it an element of realism that made you feel it on a different level.
Curtis ain’t gonna be for everybody, plain and simple. It’s a slow burn, and if you’re not in the mood for it, I could see how some might find it a bit boring. There’s not a lot of vibrance. There’s not a lot of feel-good and happiness. It’s hurt, confusion, and frustration. But, out of that, we still land on something beautiful. And, in that, we’re reminded of how something meaningful and profound can still come out of something that seems so broken on the surface.
If I HAD to give it the patented #VicksFlicks star rating in honor of our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, I’d give it a strong 4/5. Curtis probably lands in or around my top five movies seen this year. It was a pertinent, emotional story crafted masterfully through the lens of a team that clearly made a concerted effort to do it right. Well done.
Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2020 Atlanta Film Festival!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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