Passing (2021)

November 14, 2021 8:06 AM

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.
posted by BuddhaInABucket (1 comment total)

I wasn't sure that I liked this movie, but when it ended I wanted to read more about it and talk about it, for sure. It was definitely a gorgeously-shot movie, and it packed a lot of detail and subtlety into scenes.

But I was a little thrown off by a few plot points - especially toward the end when Irene started to get really hazy (following her fight with Brian, her woozy nap - was she medicated? He's a doctor... did he drug her? Why was everything so hazy for her?).

I thought that the director offered the ending to be really ambiguous: did the husband push Clare? Did Clare jump? Did Irene push her? Apparently in the novel, there was much less ambiguity.
posted by entropone at 6:57 AM on November 16, 2021 [3 favorites]