Oscar Nominee Film Review: NICKEL BOYS

There have been a plethora of films detailing the horrific plight of African-Americans in the Southern portion of the United States in the 1950’s & 1960’s, so it would have to take a pretty special - and unique - motion picture to stick out amongst the crowd.

Such is the case with NICKEL BOYS.

Written and Directed by RaMell Ross (based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead), Nickel Boys tells the tale of 2 young, African-American youth who are sent to the fictional Nickel Academy (a stand-in for the infamous Dozier Reform School for Boys in Florida, which is notorious for it’s abusive treatment of it’s students…especially it’s African-American students). It’s a story of love & friendship helping these 2 boys to endure the harsh treatment they receive at the school through their bond with each other.

If it seems you’ve seen this type of story before, you have. But…it is in the way that Ross chooses to tell the story that will engage and engross the audience as he does every scene as a “one-er” showing the entire scene (for the most part) from the singular perspective of one person in the scene - usually one of the 2 boys. And it is an effective and emotional telling of the story that works very, very well.

Helping things along are the 2 performances of the young men at the core of this story - Ethan Herisse (who portrays Elwood) and Brandon Wilson (Turner). Both are relative newcomers to the film/tv scene and both give poignant, true, open performances that rely on the other for their strength (both in character and performance). If there was an award for best DUO, these two would be at the top of the list.

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (KING RICHARD) lends her considerable talents - and reputation - to this film and it gives the movie some necessary credibility and weight while Hamish Linklater (THE BIG SHORT) gives a façade of kindness to the otherwise cruel overseer of Nickel.

But, make no mistake about it, this is a “Director’s Film” as Ross makes his camera part of the film in the way the “one-er” scenes are shot while also giving what could have been a depressing film an undercurrent of hope and heart.

It’s a well made film, that should be seen be a wider audience and well deserves it’s 2 Oscar nominations.

Letter Grade: A-

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)