A Thousand and One

A pleasant surprise considering the miniscule publicity, and very worth the watch. 7/10

From Vanity Fair: First-time feature director A.V. Rockwell’s handsomely mounted film is a terrific showcase for its star, Teyana Taylor. Tackling her first big dramatic role with force, Taylor fluidly embodies a woman trying to keep ahead of a secret. Taylor’s Inez, recently out of prison, kidnaps her son from foster care and steals away into a new life with him, hiding out in uptown Manhattan. The boy, Terry, grows up, unaware that his mother is something of a fugitive, a fact that will come to bear heavily on his educational prospects. Except for an unnecessary, late-breaking twist, Rockwell stages this heavy subject matter with little melodrama. Her film is humble, though finely tailored in restrained style. (She shoots New York City beautifully.) It’s an auspicious filmmaking debut, and a grand re-announcement for its star.