For those who don't believe in the saying that your past may come back to haunt you, one need look no further than "Beloved." Putting a literal spin on that old adage, this lovingly mounted adaption of Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name features a compelling story, superb direction, and outstanding performances.
Unfortunately, it's also nearly three hours long, and while that isn't a horrible cinematic sin, it may just elicit a great deal of seat squirming in some and great impatience in others who aren't swept up in the film's powerfully creepy, but methodically slow pace.
That said, while the film obviously isn't busting at the seams with enough content to justify its length, conversely it isn't too boring, although some trimming here and there would have effectively shortened its length without sacrificing any material.
Nonetheless, what makes the film work so well is that slow and seemingly meandering way in which the story unfolds. Despite an early scene showing poltergeist activity, the film doesn't really get creepy until it's been given time to fester and slowly come to a boil with ever more facts gradually coming into sight. As such, the more the story is revisited and explored in hindsight, the more powerful it becomes.
Of course, much of that is due to Morrison's novel that screenwriters Richard LaGravenese ("The Fisher King," "The Bridges of Madison County") and Adam Brooks ("Practical Magic," "French Kiss") and newcomer Akosua Busia have reportedly faithfully adapted.
Even so, it's director Jonathon Demme's wonderful touch along with the central quartet of performers that really allow the film to shine. As dissimilar as Demme's last film "Philadelphia" was to his earlier, Oscar winning feature, "The Silence of the Lambs," this one is as equally different from those. Although his use of sepia flavored flashbacks may be used a bit too much (in intensity), the rest of the film -- disregarding the length -- is nearly flawless.
The same holds true for the stellar performance from Oprah Winfrey. As far from her powerful, glamorous and confidant TV talk show personality as it gets, Winfrey -- who scored on Oscar nomination for her work in "The Color of Purple" -- so perfectly fits into her role that one would nearly guess it was written specifically for her. Another Oscar nomination should be headed her way for this excellent and moving portrayal.
Supporting performances are as equally strong. Thandie Newton ("Flirting," "Jefferson in Paris") is particularly amazing as the title character. Although her initial behavior and appearance may be disturbing and somewhat confusing -- one initially imagines she suffers from some previous head injury or similar trauma -- once her identity and past is revealed everything makes sense, and only gets and feels that much creepier. Perfectly playing the part, Newton should also get an Oscar nod for her performance.
Making viewers forgot what's become his near caricature role from the "Lethal Weapon" movies, Danny Glover ("Places in the Heart") delivers a fine performance as Sethe's old friend, while Kimberly Elise ("Set It Off") is also quite good as the young and troubled Denver.
Beyond the film's strong and multifaceted, but often ambiguous symbolism, the biggest complaint people will have regarding the movie is its near three-hour length. Although the picture's purposefully slow pace seems to work -- for the most part -- in its favor, at times it nears being frustratingly slow.
While similarly lengthy films such as "Titanic," "Saving Private Ryan" and even the much longer "Gone With The Wind" can get away with their duration due to the inclusion of action and/or otherwise faster paced scenes, "Beloved" would really drag if not for the supernatural undertones running throughout most of it. A little judicious editing clearly would have made the film easier to sit through, and could have been done without sacrificing any important scenes, mood, or overall atmosphere.
That said, the film is still amazing to behold. While its revelatory "twist" most likely won't come as much of a surprise to many viewers, the horror of that disclosure still manages to yield a powerfully dramatic punch. That pretty much applies to the picture as a whole, and we imagine it will be well represented in next year's Oscar nominations. We give "Beloved" an 8.5 out of 10.