A Lot of Nothing has impressive self-esteem and is determined to do its utmost to carefully examine the various topics that emerge. For a while, the film is involved, escalating tensions by putting the characters in situations that drive their actions and emotions everywhere. McRae offers a horizontal debut, but the film can’t keep up with its momentum, moving on to the final act as it tries to introduce new information.
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A Lot of Nothing Movie Review
A Lot of Nothing opens with a wealthy Black couple James (Y’lan Noel) and his wife Vanessa (Cleopatra Coleman) as they watch a news report about a police officer killing a child. Vanessa is upset that something like this has happened again and she does not know what to do in this situation. She no longer wants to sit around doing nothing, especially when she and James find the police officer in question, Brian (Justin Hartley), living next door to them.
She and James play on each other’s feelings, but eventually return to their lives the next day, where they face less violence and more racist comments, such as, “You’re one of the good ones.” When Vanessa decided to confront Brian, she and James got into an even more difficult situation at the moment.
McRae is leading the way in an effort to assess racism, class, and police killings. There are a few things that work here – James and Vanessa’s heated argument about what they can do when they find the prince Brian lives next door, their push-pull is stronger when things get worse the next day, and the first and worst conversation between a couple, James’ brother Jamal (Shamier Anderson) and fiancée his Candy (Lex Scott Davis) when they finished dinner.
The latter reflects differences of opinion between the couple, especially as it relates to their economic differences and the different ways Jamal and James want to treat Brian. Jamal is furious over the way he has been treated by the police for the rest of his life, while James tries to keep the boat afloat because of his status and wealth, as he has reached the level of success he would like not to part with.
Not only is the transition between couples a fascinating one, but their connection with Brian is even more important. In their conversations, despite the unnecessary change, in the end, the differences between Brian, James, and Vanessa are obvious. Brian seems unconcerned, unmoved by what is happening around him and the way Justin Hartley portrays him, making it clear that he is in control of the situation no matter how things go.
It is something he holds on to Vanessa and James so much that, no matter how much they want to believe they are doing something worthwhile in the face of social stigma, it does not change things the way they want. In this tense situation, McRae does something interesting, exploring the themes of power, who owns it, and how anger can easily be used to blame and condemn Vanessa and James for their actions while the public frees Brian from his own.
A lot of Nothing is highly recommended by the play of Y’lan Noel and Cleopatra Coleman, who do their best as James and Vanessa, respectively. The actors add contrast and depth to their actors as they lift one moment and express their grievances in the next.
Tense negotiations and constructive disagreements are well done, but the Big Thing does not bring a satisfactory conclusion despite a very strict setup. The final act of the film begins to deteriorate as we present the drama of the relationship, family problems, and a host of other things that take away its focus on the original film. That doesn’t do the film well as it looks towards its end with a little fury it starts with.
The opening scene is very fun, one continuous shot of the couple reacting to the news of the police shooting, the camera follows them to different parts of their home while resolving different emotions. Unfortunately, the film, despite its best efforts, never comes back, and the fire subsides after it as it tries to deal with many problems at once. The overall momentum continues and prevents More to hold on, but it is a promising play from McRae, who plays a strong role in keeping the film’s tension in the dialogue alone. “A Lot of Nothing.”
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