Directed By Denzel Washington

Starring – Michael B. Jordan, Chante Adams, Robert Wisdom

The Plot – Based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Jordan), a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Adams) revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content, partial nudity, drug use and adult language

A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN – Final Trailer (HD) | Exclusively In Theaters December 25 – YouTube

POSITIVES

This feels like a perfect release date for a movie of this Calibur, particularly in the engagement of its blossoming romance, which presents sweet and sentimental feelings between the main protagonists that moves the story further than it rightfully should. This is done mostly without question by the magnitude of the performances between Jordan and Adams, whose impeccable chemistry and complimentary dynamic cement two hopeless romantics whom we can’t help but continuously engage in. Adams takes the majority of the story’s focus, sifting through periodic instances with dramatic heft that not only proves the strength and resiliency of the military wives in her particular predicament, but also one that proves Chante has the gravitational pull to carry and dominate any tonal plausibility that the scene calls for. As for Jordan, the believability of a soldier in his physique is obviously there, but it’s the tender side to his portrayal that opens us up an unexplored earnestness of the actor we rarely see, cementing him as this journeyman through various genres and enveloping’s that prove the actor is one of those presences who can truly do it all. Aside from the romance, the film’s geographic influence weighs heavily on the warmth of its engagement, depicting New York City itself as a character in the movie when seen through cinematographer Maryse Alberti’s intimate lens. Part of it is certainly the gorgeous landscapes that permeate from her exceptional framing, but for my money it’s the warmth in exuberance from her lighting schemes that are most diverse and accommodating to the integrity of the moods they alleviate, seducing us with the beauty and vibrance in the aspect of environments that we coherently interpret from the character’s perspective. It’s also a refreshingly faithful film adapted seamlessly from the memoir of the same name it’s adapted seamlessly from. This allows for plenty of thought-provoking commentaries, told especially from Charles’ perspective as he navigates life as a family man and U.S Soldier simultaneously. It’s a love-letter to those who continuously make the ultimate sacrifice, while fighting for the freedoms that many take for granted each day, ultimately proving a passion project for Washington who depicts it with the utmost respect and diligence.

NEGATIVES

Unfortunately, this film is ravaged by the weight of its potential, which implodes its execution almost entirely from a storytelling perspective. Considering this title and plot resonate in the connective link between Charles and his unborn son, it’s disappointing to see how little of the script actually pertains to this aspect, especially when considering how much time is given to the love story itself, which often overstays its welcome in the attention of the narrative spin. The aspects of the problem are made even worse with the disjointed and detached nature of Virgil Williams dejected screenplay, primarily in the aspect of juggling as many as three respective timelines at once, while giving none of them proper time and commitment to magnetize something compelling for the investment. For a film that is 126 minutes long, there’s truly no reason why all arcs couldn’t reach a satisfying consistency within the influence of the constructive narrative, if told in real time, especially since the child subplot fights for scraps near the end of the film, which keeps us from ever relegating the tragedy of a fatherless black boy’s dreaded disposition beyond anything other than momentary insights into events taking shape beyond Washington’s limited scope. As for that romance, while sweetly saccharine for what it produces, is riddled by genre-specific cliches and hinderances that made this feel like a Nicholas Sparks film that somehow found its way to a December release date. This is certainly the case with the dialogue, which is consistently corny in a way that never compliments the corresponding characterization, and the supporting cast of friends, which begin with one-line zingers about how Dana should get some and ends with a male gay friend adding nothing but constantly mentioning how sexy Charles is. I thought these tropes left in the 90’s, but apparently, I was wrong. Aside from this, I would be lying if I said depiction wasn’t a problem throughout, particularly in the range of Dana, whose periodic immaturity, jealousy, and deconstructive humiliation of Charles’ style and moral fiber made for a protagonist who I yearned to get away from. Adams isn’t the problem here, as my aforementioned adoration of her performance lends itself entirely to what’s asked out of her in the role, but the outline of her character often requires suspended disbelief in her actions for the sake of digesting drama in the growing pains of her relationship and the compelling nature of the narrative.

OVERALL

“A Journal for Jordan” is made sweet and endearing by a duo of charming performances continuously reaching for the hearts of its audience. Unfortunately, its sanitized screenplay and TV-level tropes, in the form of corny dialogue and stereotypical extras, provide too much for Denzel’s stilted grip, leading us down a blazed path of rote and unfulfilling expectations previously paved by films of the genre with half of the potential.

My Grade: 5/10 or D+