|
DOWN IN THE DELTA Send This Review to a Friend
Here's an African-American family drama with power. "Down in the Delta," forthright, gripping and beautifully acted, is the first feature directed by poet and novelist Maya Angelou. She has done an outstanding job with the script by Myron Goble, and the film is likely to move audiences deeply.
Alfre Woodard gives one of her finest performances as Loretta, a seemingly doomed woman mired in alcohol and drugs and yet another victim of the streets of Chicago. The mother of two children, she cannot cope with her responsibilities. The positive force in her life is her mother, staunchly played by excellent actress Mary Alice. The film deals with what happens when Loretta's mother arranges for her and the children to spend the summer with Loretta's uncle in Mississippi. This is an eloquent tale of opportunity, family bonding, redemption, and pride in the family's history.
Other cast members, including Al Freeman, Jr., Wesley Snipes, Esther Rolle, and Loretta Devine, contribute mightily. Angelou doesn't resort to fancy camera work or editing, but has the good sense to tell the story straightforwardly, relying on her actors and the honest emotional pull of Goble's sensitively written script. The film unabashedly reveals its heart openly, and a stout heart it is. A Miramax release.
|