A Thousand and One

by Philip Price

Photo: Focus Features

Director: A.V. Rockwell
Starring: Teyana Taylor & William Catlett 
Rated: R (language) 
Runtime: 1 hour & 57 minutes

​It is interesting to see the reverberations of director Barry Jenkins' influence and presence in film infiltrate the way other modern filmmakers tell their stories. Obviously, the representation of characters and lifestyles that are not as frequently portrayed in cinema will be a common thread among upcoming black directors, but A.V. Rockwell’s feature debut also tends to feel as organic and orchestral as both of Jenkins’ features; torn from the same cloth, if you will … both intimately authentic while being of a scale more about circumstance than scope.
​
More than an impressive debut, Rockwell conceives and executes with a fluidity that feels so assured it’s not hard to deduce how much she believes in this story. It is the contrast of how specific that story is while playing against the backdrop of these large cultural shifts that are unfolding that is maybe the most impressive facet as it is again the reverberations from a few that can either lift up or erase whole subsets of the population. Obviously, “A Thousand and One” is about the struggles of black people surviving in a system they didn’t design and more specifically, the role of black women and how both cultural expectation and gentrification play into these struggles in Harlem in the ‘90s through to the turn of the millennium, but it’s also a coming of age movie and a movie of mothers and sons that uses the world around it to challenge and strengthen those developments and relationships. 

Teyana Taylor is a major reason for the effortless cool conveyed in the tone as her Inez makes everything she does - even her most questionable decisions - feel warranted. Inez is a hard worker who doesn’t ask for much and appreciates what she builds even if it might feel like very little by comparison. What’s heartbreaking and what Rockwell really insists on hammering home is how, no matter Inez’s resilience or work ethic, she is always fighting an uphill battle. Whether that be the men in her life, the stereotypes, her past, or the new owners of her building, there is always someone trying to thwart the spirit of this woman who only desires to create a loving, nurturing family environment and do right by them. Unfortunately, only the approved can afford the American dream. 

The cinematography from Eric Yue and the score from Gary Gunn are also highlights of the film as they somehow manage to capture the sounds and spirit of ‘90s New York on what one can only assume was a smaller budget.

Of course, there are some hoops the film creates for itself that it didn’t necessarily have to jump through such as subplots with William Catlett’s “Lucky” whose performance I enjoyed, but whose arc felt a little more contrived than necessary along with a third act “twist” that is certainly dramatic but almost felt included only as a way to get to a final note for the movie to play. Abandoning some of these more cliched aspects might have allowed more room to develop not only Inez’s relationship with her son, Terry (who is played by three different actors across 11 years - again, those Jenkins reverberations), but his development as well; giving more real estate to his time with his friends, his adventures in dating, and why he clashes with his mother on certain things.

This is definitely Inez’s story, but even with everything the film is attempting to accomplish, both Inez and the key relationship in her life sometimes feel underserved. Keeping the lens a little tighter to convey the bigger statements might have made them more impactful and poignant.

​"A Thousand and One" is streaming on Peacock.