I Will Follow: Film Review

10:44 AM PST 3/10/2011 by Frank Scheck

Sensitively scripted by writer-directer Ava DuVernay, this drama about the grieving process rings true while avoiding the trap of succumbing to melodrama.

Documentary filmmaker Ava DuVernay's debut narrative feature I Will Follow is notable in that it portrays a world of black characters who are not involved in crime, hip-hop, or the Tyler Perry universe. This touching if insular drama about a woman grieving over the recent death of her aunt is well acted and incisively observed, although it's ultimately too low-key to have much dramatic impact.