Ma Rainey's Black Bottom falls very much into the category of "filmed play" rather than screen adaptation, too reliant on monologuing in its character development, too rigid with the source material to improvise on its theme. Still, when you have actors as powerful as Boseman and Davis on hand, that's not so bad. Review

Cinematographer Hillary Spera plays coyly with the angles and perspective limitations of a wheelchair-bound lead to great effect. Composer Torin Borrowdale tunes up a creeper of a score that also shows matching moderation of when to prod and when to percolate. The edge of the atmosphere is all there. Review