Mangrove - 💥💥💥💥

Director: Steve McQueen
Writer: Steve McQueen and Alastair Siddons

Release Date: 20th November 2020

Hot Rating: 💥💥💥💥 

Oscar-winning British filmmaker Steve McQueen delivers a stellar film in Mangrove, the first of five films made for the BBC.  While classified under this Small Axe anthology, Mangrove's characters, many of whom are based on real people surrounding the infamous Mangrove nine trial, radiate the independence and depth of any stand-alone feature film. Visually, all the hallmarks of McQueen's filmmaking are here too, from the heightened use of sound to the long, unbroken takes. It's a testament to the director's increasing maturity as a filmmaker and, better yet, his commitment to the aesthetic potency of his storytelling. A touch too long by the standards of his first two features – Hunger and Shame – no stone is left unturned in this story. And, yet despite the strife that McQueen diligently documents – police brutality and racism intertwined throughout – the film is utmost a celebration of culture, community and unity. 

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