In “A Thousand and One”, A.V. Rockwell sets such a potent reminder to us all that even a mother’s love can be interrupted by the legal system. There is brooding, but realistic social commentary put into this excellent directorial debut. It is yet another indie film that will get lost in the shuffle once awards season starts to bloom.
As a six-year old in a raggedy Harlem, New York, Terry, at a foster care system, is kidnapped by a rowdy-looking Inez (played by Teyana Taylor). Throughout the film, Inez and Terry develop a very intimate relationship in an eleven-year span. As a six year-old, Terry learns to connect with Inez’s personality. As a seventeen-year old, Terry makes more adult-like decisions like developing friendships and that ends up not impressing Inez’s expectations on him.
Rockwell’s debut not just works as a coming-of-age film, but also as a film about realizing the heinous crimes of motherhood. The first thirty minutes of the film makes a prominent focus on Inez because of her criminal decision. Similar to Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” from last year, he makes a smart decision of making Terry, the younger character, the prominent main character throughout the film, rather than Inez. Inez is a very flawed person while Terry is more smart where he can pick up on what is wrong with Inez.
Teyana Taylor in her role as Inez could very well be the most committed performance of 2023 so far. The aspect that is best about Inez is that her personality might have a toughness, but there is such a loving intimacy to her with both Terry and her husband Lucky (played by a great Will Caplett).
Both Aaron Kingsley and Josiah Cross are dynamite as both the six year-old and the seventeen year-old Terries respectively. Aaron Kingsley’s performance bares similarities to Jaden Smith’s performance in “The Pursuit of Happiness” where he can be immature like every other kid, but can really hold on to the strength of his mother’s love whenever a conflict happens. Josiah Cross is a more monstrous and rebellious version of Terry, but has a clear understanding of what a mother’s importance is.
Not to mention that the overall theme of motherhood hits incredibly hard and remains the heart of this film. The last couple of minutes really sum up the film’s theme very well. Not to spoil anything, but the scenario that Terry ends up being in is a very heartbreaking place to be.
Intertwining the theme of motherhood and a cathartic coming-of-age story, “A Thousand and One” proves that A.V. Rockwell is a promising voice to behold. There is a good chance that this will stick as the best film of 2023 for a long while.
Grade: 9/10
