The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

Hale County This Morning, This Evening | Movie review
14 January 2019
Michael Higgs
Avatar
Michael Higgs
14 January 2019

Movie and show review

Michael Higgs

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

★★★★★

Release date

18th January 2019

Links

FacebookWebsite

Hale County This Morning, This Evening, is an artistic documentary without a narrative. It offers an impressionistic portrayal of several moments in the lives of its many subjects from Hale County, Alabama, primarily two young men. The film’s primary focus is not to tell a concrete story, but rather to give a glimpse into what life is like in the poor, historic South. While at times profoundly powerful, the work often falls into the stereotypical pitfalls many artistic films do – and which many comedians have been poking fun at for decades.

That’s not to say that the movie is a failure. No – there is much to admire here. The cast – or rather subjects, since it’s a documentary – is excellently chosen and provides a highly varied and fascinating insight into these people’s lives, with all the joys, sorrows and moments of desperation that they would have been confronted with over the span of the five years of filming. Many of the shots are very effective, highlighting significant details to create an artistic impression that burns itself into the viewer’s mind. Occasionally, director RaMell Ross changes the scenes with thoughtful quotes, which (sometimes) highlight or elaborate on what is displayed on the screen afterwards – on one occasion even with a slight touch of humour.

But the flaws are obvious and could easily have been avoided. A fractured documentary can certainly work, but when coupled with uncomfortably long shots – such as three minutes of a toddler running around or five of someone practising basketball on his own – a general audience will be thrown off much too soon. Some of the cuts to horrific moments of history – a blackface, cotton fields – feel too forced and unnecessary. At other times, low, drum-like, distorted noises gradually emerge in the background before becoming louder and making it difficult to concentrate on what’s happening. These moments are more tedious and annoying than uncomfortable and disturbing.

All this makes a film with great potential seem unpolished and immature. A few tweaks here and there – especially in the editing – could have made this a fascinating, engaging take on a community most viewers wouldn’t have been familiar with. As it is, Hale County This Morning, This Evening will throw most audiences off. But those who can sit through its 80-minute runtime will be rewarded with a similarly fascinating insight.

★★★★★

Michael Higgs

Hale County This Morning, This Evening is released in select cinemas on 18th January 2019.

Watch the trailer for Hale County This Morning, This Evening here:

Related Itemsreview

More in Movie reviews

Minions: The Rise of Gru

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Nitram

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

The Princess

★★★★★
Umar Ali
Read More

We (Nous)

★★★★★
Jake Cudsi
Read More

Tigers

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Theo and the Metamorphosis

★★★★★
Oliver Johnston
Read More

The Big Hit

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Moon, 66 Questions

★★★★★
Joseph Owen
Read More

The Lost Girls

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Michael Higgs

Hale County This Morning, This Evening

★★★★★

Release date

18th January 2019

Links

FacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • 50 Next: London chef Santiago Lastra recognised in Bilbao as one of the 50 young people shaping the future of gastronomy
    Food & Drinks
  • Only Murders in the Building: Season Two
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Tigers
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Chelsea Flower Show 2022: Greenery and wellbeing
    Fashion & Lifestyle
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Baby
    ★★★★★
    sky
  • Nitram
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Minions: The Rise of Gru
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • “He used to spit at the audience, roll on the ground, he did, in fact, hump that plastic dog – he was the original punk rocker”: Baz Luhrman, Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge and Alton Mason on Elvis
    Cinema & Tv
  • Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium
    ★★★★★
    Live music
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Sex Education | Show review
Until the Lions at the Roundhouse | Theatre review