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Review

In film, most stories of racial tension and radical politics are told in broad strokes with all the subtlety of a Molotov cocktail. Director Tanya Hamilton, making her feature film debut, paints Night Catches Us with all the precision and attention to detail of a photorealist. Hamilton's delicately composed tale follows former Black Panther Marcus (the stunningly handsome Anthony Mackie) returning to his close-knit Philadelphia neighborhood several years after taking the rap for giving information to the FBI which led to his best friend's violent death. There he finds rejection from his brother (Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought of legendary hip hop group The Roots who also composed the score of the film) and from his former Panther colleagues led by Do-Right ("The Wire"'s Jamie Hector). He finds a more hospitable reception from Patricia (Kerry Washington) the wife of his deceased best friend.

While the rekindled relationship between Mackie and Washington forms the bulk of the very subtle narrative, the brilliance of Hamilton's film lies in the delicately-composed cinematography and the quiet, but very effective sound design which draws viewers directly into the world of the film. Lovers of outstanding cinema (even those with no taste for political or racial conflict in their narratives) won't be able to to resist the meditative space created by Hamilton's laser-like focus and unshowy flourishes. Ms. Hamilton, despite the fact that Night Catches Us is her feature film debut, demonstrates all of the talent and control of a master auteur. Truly, we cannot over-emphasize the awe which Ms. Hamilton's film inspired in us.

Of course, Ms. Hamilton's intent here is not merely to wow cinephiles with her talent and restraint, but instead to tell a personal story that, while being nostalgic, attempts to criticize nostalgia. As Ms. Hamilton looks back at 1976, all of her characters keep their gazes fixed on the Black Panther movement of 10 years prior. A movement whose violent outbursts have left this community scarred, traumatized and, even, a little envious of the notoriety given to the prominent figures of the time. This nostalgia most potently affects Jimmy, Patricia's young cousin, who, despite the fact that he was just 9-years-old when Black Panthers were at their peak in the neighborhood, finds himself growing more alienated and hostile to the police that patrol the neighborhood. As his unstable tendencies become more prominent, his mimicking of the Black Panthers does as well. A gun is eventually purchased and that gun, as always, will go off, leading to tragedy.

To say more would only spoil the plot. But, even if that plot were spoiled, it shouldn't dramaticaly affect anyone's enjoyment of the film. It's composed too delicately, too exquisitely for any single hindrance to bring it down. In a year in which mediocre-to-above-average films seem to be filling critics' "Top 10" lists, Night Catches Us is the rare exception, an immaculate film that's been all but ignored by critics and viewers alike. Don't make the same mistake: go see Night Catches Us as soon as you can. You will almost certainly be stunned by its composition.

 -- Daniel Reed