Avis des critiques

I’m not convinced that the decision to shoot Nickel Boys primarily in point-of-view shots really works... RaMell Ross’s previous film, the documentary Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018), struck me as more moving and more filled with mystery, and the last film I saw that was shot by Jomo Fray, Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023), I found more unexpected and original.

Any examination of Nickel Boys inevitably begins with discussions about form and technique... And Ross’ creative choices are calculated to challenge his audience in ways that other, similar stories of gross injustice and dehumanization don’t, which pushes the film past notions of “Black trauma porn,” into new, artistically vital avenues.

[Nickel Boys is] a poetical rendering of its subject matter.

An original work of heart-wrenching power... The unique shooting style takes some adjusting to, but quickly draws the viewer under its spell, creating a tactile and profoundly immersive experience punctuated by some deeply harrowing scenes.

This is no ordinary movie... Nickel Boys is a life made up of pieces; some of them lovely, come devastating. It's a mesmerizing, uniquely told story--of memory, of injustice, of friendship, of survival.

If anything, Ross’ work reminds us that the camera need not be God’s unblinking eye on a story. He has crafted an exceptional film driven by captivating performances. Through his unexpected yet welcome camera positioning – for the most part – he gives a clearer glimpse of its emotional core.

[Nickel Boys] represents one of the biggest conceptual swings of recent years, but never once feels uncertain or opportunistic, or even show-offy in an Oscar-baiting manner. It’s ingenious and also empathetic: a rare mix worthy of deconstruction and celebration.

This is an extraordinarily confident and provocative feature debut film from Ross, and deserves high critical priase. But so much of the emotional connection to a character is, to me, found in watching their feelings register on their face... Without that, Nickel Boys offers more style than satisfaction.

[I]t’s an extraordinary achievement. A version that is true to the book, honouring both its spirit and its structure, while also managing to be a genuinely groundbreaking cinematic work. This is a sublime piece of film-making.

Nickel Boys’ first-person limits are less significant than its elliptical nature, passing over the full horror of the boys’ beatings in a welcome if softening refusal of black trauma porn. All the performances feel right... The subliminal logic is of dreams, the intention immersive, as Ross’s camera inhabits his protagonists’ minds, perhaps even grasping for their souls.

A gut-wrenching adapatation... Stunning performances ignite this powerful drama, thanks to Herisse’s quietly devastating depiction of Elwood and Wilson’s genial intensity as Turner.

It’s easy to be reminded of Terrence Malick, undoubtedly an influence on Ross; the film doesn’t seem to be honeying these two boys’ memories by way of homage, so much as honouring the specificity of every moment lived.