From Deseret News archives:
Eve's Bayou
Film review
In these days of "bigger is better" moviemaking, we're lucky to find even one interesting or compelling character per film. So it's extraordinary to find a drama like "Eve's Bayou," which has enough of them for three or four movies.
Featuring strong performances from its leads and some novel approaches to storytelling, "Eve's Bayou" proves to be an extremely promising debut for writer/director Kasi Lemmons, probably best-known as a supporting actress (in films like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "Fear of a Black Hat") or as the wife of actor/writer/director Vondie Curtis Hall.
It also puts the recent and similarly themed generational drama "Soul Food" to shame, with much better plotting and acting than that film, though, admittedly, it does get sidetracked about midway with some silly soap opera-like contrivances.
The focus is on the Baptistes, a black family living in 1960s Louisiana. Presiding over the family is country doctor Louis Baptiste (Samuel L. Jackson), who, unbeknownst to his unsuspecting wife Roz (Lynn Whitfield), has roaming eyes for the ladies.
When 10-year-old daughter Eve (Jurnee Smollett) witnesses her father being unfaithful, she's told to keep quiet by both her older sister, Cisely (Meagan Good), and eccentric, fortune-telling aunt Mozelle (Debbi Morgan, in a multilayered performance that almost steals the show).
But that knowledge continues to weigh on both sisters and the entire family slowly becomes suspicious of Louis' late-night activities. Things eventually come to a head when Cisely suffers a suspicious mental breakdown, which leads to a father-daughter confrontation and an equally tragic climax (a much-older Eve, who narrates the film, cryptically admits at the start that "I killed my father").
There's much more going on, including a sappy running subplot about Mozelle's doomed love life and some offbeat bits about a mysterious voodoo practicioner (Diahann Carroll), but Lemmons shows a steady hand in weaving the loose ends together.
It helps that she has such a capable cast. Morgan (a veteran soap opera actress) is superb, as is young newcomer Smollett, and Jackson avoids making his character just another charming but slimy philanderer (his character is shown to love his children and wife, though he remains unrepentant).
"Eve's Bayou" is rated R for profanity, two sex scenes, violence, some lewd dancing, brief drug use and brief nudity.
Comments
Cast: Jurnee Smollett, Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Debbi Morgan, Vondie Curtis Hall, Diahann Carroll; written and directed by Kasi Lemmons
Find a Movie Theater
- Ellis, Watson help Warriors beat Nets 8:24 p.m.
- No parole till 2014 for Centerville man 8:24 p.m.
- Utah brings affordability to housing 8:22 p.m.
- Foreclosure filings fell 8% in Nov. 8:21 p.m.
- Bank of America repays $45B 8:21 p.m.
- Rise in premium airline passengers 8:21 p.m.
- Store opens for Peep cravings 8:20 p.m.
- General Mills to cut sugar in cereal 8:18 p.m.
- Poinsettia homecoming for Wynn 8:17 p.m.
- There'll be a price for new benefits 8:17 p.m.
- Hot Rod behind mic for Lakers
- Cougars use depth to beat ASU
- Max Hall wants to look ahead
- Non-BCS schools not given fair shot
- Panel passes BCS playoff bill
- Doctor calls Mitchell 'naive,' 'inept'
- Palin signs books, chats with fans
- Small plane crashes near Lehi
- Snow brings big chill
- Jazz go up against 'the best'
- Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
291 - Letters: Global warming a lie
228 - TCU to play Boise in Fiesta Bowl
206 - BYU football: Bronco weighs in on Hall
178 - Cougars going back to Vegas
150 - Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil
145 - Andersen apologizes for Jordan hoax
138 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
121 - Max Hall wants to look ahead
117 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
100
Best of luck Pitta, you are more than deserving of the award.
Communists, socialist, oppressors, power grabbers, just thinking of words...
How does Al Gore make money off climate change? I know how the oil...
What a joke! The government has way more important things to do. What ever...
Great job, Alissa! That is so cool. Now if we could just have more...
So all they've done is trickery again. They've made medicare the government...
Thankyou Cathy at 7:50. You clearly answer the question of the lady who...
I'm the grooviest dude around on most things, but I have to say it's slightly...
I love my fellow brtoehrs and wish the best for them. I am looking...
Yeah for more construction! Is it me, or have the Utah freeways been under...




You can be the first to comment on this story.