It's 1865 on the outskirts of Cincinnati. Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) is haunted by a ghost. Her two young sons run away as the ghost attack. Eight years later, friend Paul D. (Danny Glover) from the old plantation Sweet Home is reunited with Sethe after 18 years. She's living with her daughter Denver (Kimberly Elise) along with the spirit of her baby. Sethe and Paul recount the horrible history of the plantation. Returning from a carnival, they find mysterious Beloved (Thandie Newton) on their yard. She has a magical origin and is childlike at first.
I haven't read the book and didn't know what to expect from this movie. The horror opening shocked me a little. This isn't the best from director Jonathan Demme. There is a dark fantasy about this movie but it's not conveyed well. Thandie Newton is doing a Nell thing and it's hard to see past Oprah's persona. There are powerful stuff here but it feels like a wild mess and lifeless. It's also way too long and the acting is too big. It leaves the movie unwieldy and tiresome. There are tough images and heartbreaking stories. Maybe simplifying it would have distill this to its brutal essence.
I haven't read the book and didn't know what to expect from this movie. The horror opening shocked me a little. This isn't the best from director Jonathan Demme. There is a dark fantasy about this movie but it's not conveyed well. Thandie Newton is doing a Nell thing and it's hard to see past Oprah's persona. There are powerful stuff here but it feels like a wild mess and lifeless. It's also way too long and the acting is too big. It leaves the movie unwieldy and tiresome. There are tough images and heartbreaking stories. Maybe simplifying it would have distill this to its brutal essence.