A Thousand and One – Review
117 Minutes, Rated R
Written and Directed by A.V. Rockwell
**NOTE: You can read Mark’s review below, then listen as he and Ryan discuss the film in more depth.. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
Synopsis:
A THOUSAND AND ONE follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps her six-year-old son Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and each other, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.
When a film like A Thousand and One comes along, it’s possible for it to change not only the careers of those involved with making it, but with the way stories are told moving forward.
I don’t want to bore you with too much detail here, as Ryan and I go into great depth about what works here and why in our discussion (so be sure to listen to that!), but suffice it to say that first-time feature writer/director A.V. Rockwell has put together a script that is smart, both in its story and its execution, and that makes its story beats hit that much harder as you watch.
The love of Inez for Terry is never in question, no matter what happens in the movie. You can acknowledge everything that is done wrong by the multiple characters in the film, but you can never deny that.
As a fugitive family on the run trying to survive in New York as it evolves through the bad years, through Stop-and-Frisk and Broken Windows policing, through 9-11 and a few years later, the family formed by Inez for Terry is at the heart of everything.
Which makes the climax of the film that much more remarkable because even though you think you know, or can see, or think you’ve guessed, you haven’t.
And it’s a wondrous thing to experience as a critic, that sense of genuine surprise. When you see so many films, you may think you’ve seen everything, so when you see something unexpected, it’s a real treat.
And that’s what A Thousand and One is: a treat.
It’s a sometimes-difficult watch, touching on topics that may seem unappetizing to contemplate, but it’s a beautiful movie about the love that holds a family together, and that makes it worth any discomfort you might feel.
Teyana Taylor shines as Inez, fully embodying this mother-at-all-costs, raising Terry to be better than she ever was or thought she could be.
As her husband Lucky (and initially unwilling father to Terry), William Catlett seethes onscreen as he deals with Inez’ passion, growing into his role as father, and a damned fine one, at that.
An exceptional effort from Rockwell, who seems poised to do great things. It will be interesting to see what she chooses for her next project.
Check out A Thousand and One when you can.
A Thousand and One is hits theaters on March 31 and stars Teyana Taylor, Will Catlett, Josiah Cross, Aven Courtney, and Aaron Kingsley Adetola.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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