“Visually translating Isabel’s book is a tricky task. Shooting on film helps. The consistency offered by 16mm means that DuVernay doesn’t rely on tawdry means, such as adding an ugly patina to the photography to indicate changes in decades. Because whether she jumps from Nazi Germany or to Jim Crow South or to early 20th century India, DuVernay wants her aesthetic continuity to mirror Isabel’s connective thesis. The texture of film also establishes the necessary intimacy required for witnessing. Cinematographer Matthew J. Lloyd loves close-ups, trusting Ellis-Taylor to conjure Isabel’s twisting stream of emotions.”

Read the full review here.