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The extraordinary ambition of “Passing Through” is to break through the surfaces of drama and to get the spirit of jazz, and the real-world circumstances of its creation, onto film.
2 days ago · Read Review. Find tickets. Juror #2. NYT Critic’s Pick. PG-13. Thriller. Directed by Clint Eastwood. In his latest (and perhaps last) movie as a director, Eastwood casts a skeptical eye at the...
- Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut hits its mark.
- Netflix Spotlight: November 2021
- What's your favorite Tessa Thompson role?
- Verdict
By Tara Bennett
Updated: Oct 29, 2021 7:35 pm
Posted: Oct 29, 2021 7:26 pm
Passing is in theaters for a limited release on Oct. 27 with digital streaming on Netflix Nov. 10, 2021.
Based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name, Passing is a period piece objectively about race that transcends that binary distinction to explore the lengths people go to secure “happiness” at all costs. It’s quite the assured directorial and screenwriting debut from Rebecca Hall, who uses the narrative construct of the novel — two mixed race friends unexpectedly reconnecting in adulthood — to quietly expose the sacrifices women make in terms of their values, morals, hearts, and minds for what society deems acceptable.
Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga play the two women at the heart of the story, friends from rural Georgia that grow up, lose touch, and then accidentally reconnect in the fancy tea room of The Drayton Hotel in New York City. Their interactions and childhood remembrances make it clear early on that both women have white and Black parents, but Negga’s Clare Bellew has the lighter complexion, which allows her to easily “pass” for white to her unabashedly wealthy, racist husband, John (Alexander Skarsgård). While Thompson’s "Reenie" Redfield uses a well-appointed hat and some specific clothing to lean into her lighter skin for the same assumption on this particular day, she stridently exists as a Black woman in her Harlem community.
Expecting their stories to unfold entirely around their racial categorization choices, Hall wisely expands the boundaries of self-definition in the film to extend outwards exponentially as the women’s renewed friendship begins to unravel the carefully constructed lives they’ve both worked so hard to attain. While both exist in upper-middle class lives, the movie focuses on the perspective of Reenie’s life as the wife of a respected Black doctor, Brian (André Holland), and the mother of two growing boys. It’s in their home and world that Clare thrusts herself into, and begins to flourish within, because she doesn’t have to sustain a constant ruse.
And this is where Passing is at its most fascinating. While there’s a disquieting pall of emotional withholding that permeates the whole piece because of how much each woman is holding back in their everyday existences, it’s in their reignited friendship that their true selves bloom again. Their shared secret is the great unifier for them; a place to both share and connect without fear of judgment and they practically hum with organic chemistry that insinuates the sensual from both sides. In their quiet moments with one another, dispensed with purpose and precision throughout the film, both actresses find their moments of devastating honesty with one another, creating scenes that simmer with what’s said and unsaid.
Rebecca Taylor in Heroes (2006-2010)
Bianca in Creed (2015)
Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnaraok (2017), Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Jackie Cook in Veronica Mars (2004-2019)
Charlotte Hale in Westworld (2016-present)
Other -- let us know in the comments.
Passing is a thoughtful and visually gorgeous rumination on how we frame ourselves to the world. Rebecca Hall comes out of the gate in her directorial debut possessing an assured point of view, using monochrome and a 4:3 aspect ratio to not only capture the time but the intimacy of the story. Meanwhile, Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga achieve flawles...
Nov 11, 2021 · Rebecca Hall’s piercing drama stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga as old friends navigating the color line in 1920s New York.
- Rebecca Hall
In early 2022, we proudly added Wordle to our collection. Since then we have created Connections and Strands. We strive to offer puzzles for all skill levels that everyone can enjoy playing every...
In 1920s New York City, a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white. Watch on Netflix Stream Now
- (251)
- Drama
- PG-13
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Oct 27, 2021 · Hall, Grau, editor Sabine Hoffman, and composer Devonté Hynes do an excellent job of casting a hypnotic spell on the audience. This is a deliberately paced film with enveloping moods that feel like symphony movements. There’s heavy material here, but “Passing” doesn’t belabor its points.
