Residue

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brent m This heartbreaking indictment of the downsides of gentrification evokes a decidedly powerful emotional response, but its disjointed storytelling approach leaves viewers wanting for greater clarity. When an aspiring Black screenwriter returns to the Washington, DC neighborhood where he grew up to pen a script about his upbringing, he's overwhelmed by the many changes that have taken place since he left and moved to California, most notably the pronounced shift in local demographics and the scattering of his childhood friends. Memories of his past flood back as he attempts to process the situation, an experience that incites an incendiary slowburn. While director Merawi Gerima's attempt at putting an artistic spin on this story is noteworthy, the approach doesn't work much of the time, leaving audiences scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly what is going on. The mix of present-day action and flashbacks becomes so cumbersomely jumbled at times that it's easy to lose sight of -- and interest in -- what's transpiring on the screen. A number of story threads remain woefully underdeveloped as a consequence, despite the elegant cinematography employed to depict portions of them. This offering would have been far more impactful if a more straightforward narrative approach were employed, something this debut filmmaker may want to consider for future projects. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Must see for anyone living in the DMV Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautifully shot in a depressing yet real and inviting setting. Gives a great point of view from the black perspective in the United States. It can be funny at times by how ridiculous and obvious the new white inhabitants are. It gives a good glimpse into black culture as it shows a regular story for many people when they go home. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member I am a 3 generation native Washingtonian and let it be known any young brother from DC doing something good and positive has my support. But, I must admit DC is messed up if this is view from the cameras lens. Although this story is someone's life in DC, I was hoping for the more educational approach. We have many struggle movies out here and this one felt like another one. I guess I wanted more of a unified, rise above movie. I was definitely hoping to see some of our GoGo's best as more than a blurb or soundbite. All this may sound bad but, it isn't meant to be. I AM DC so I am very familiar with the many changes here but, I need a movie showing more of this good black life that actually is happening here. The director being a great example. DC has some really good black talent and some good black stories to offer. I said somebody needs to jump on doing a Original Series on GoGo. Only way the gentrification will stop is if we buy it back. Continued success and blessings to everyone involved in this body of work. AND....WATCH THE MOVIE STILL!!!! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member "Residue" is a very good first film tackling an important theme, the gentrification of American cities. Highly recommend it to drama lovers. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member I didn't find this story interesting and it was too slow. The visual and sound quality were also terrible. There's no excuse for being this cheap-looking. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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