By Bob Bloom
At its core, “Luce” is a drama about perception, expectations and miscommunication.
The movie gnaws at you, eliciting a gut feeling of dread and queasiness that does not go away, even after the end credits roll.
Luce Edgar is a model student — a member of the debate and track teams who is an example for his fellow classmates.
Luce, it seems, has a bright future with everyone — including his parents and teachers — expecting great things from him.
All that begins to change, though, when Luce writes a paper for his social studies-civics class.
The assignment was to write a paper in the voice of a historical 20th-century figure. Luce chooses that of Frantz Fanon, a French-West Indian social philosopher and revolutionary who advocated violence against the oppression of colonialism and a needed tool to achieve political change.
The paper so greatly concerns his teacher, Harriet Walker, that she searches Luce’s locker and finds a bag of high-explosive fireworks.
Walker’s fears are generated by Luce’s background. Luce had been a child soldier in Eritrea before, at 7 years old, he was adopted by Peter and Amy Edgar.
As the film progresses, we learn that it took the Edgars years of counseling to help Luce adapt to a normal life in America.
“Luce” unfolds slowly offering glimpses into Luce’s interactions at school with various friends. As written by Julius Onah, who also directs, and JC Lee, from his own play, vague suspicion is cast on Luce. It seems he is withholding bits and pieces of his life from his parents and teachers.
Walker, who sees him as a symbol of black excellence for fellow students, begins to feel threatened by Luce. Most everything he says, he reads — or is it misreads — as something sinister.
Onah and Lee create a maddening air of ambiguity that rivets your interest in the movie, but also maddens you, as you nervously wait for some sort of explosion — physical or mental.
The emotional wringer created by Walker’s actions also have an impact on Luce’s parents. While Amy offers her son unconditional love, trust and support, Peter is a bit more skeptical, believing some of Walker’s suspicions may be grounded in truth.
A schism grows between Amy and Peter, with the former demanding that her husband have blind faith in Luce, while Peter, who has his doubts, advocates caution.
The soul of “Luce” is the performance of Kelvin Harrison Jr. (“Mudbound,” “The Birth of a Nation”) in the title role.
Beneath his charming demeanor, sunny smile and upbeat attitude is a young man battling the pressures of expectations. Luce believes that everyone wants him to be perfect as a standard-bearer for other black youth.
A lot of resentment and anger boil within Luce; seemingly, he has it under control.
But a series of escalating events — including a vandalism of Walker’s home and culminating in an arson in Walker’s classroom at the school — bring the situation to a head.
This is one of the maddening facets of “Luce.” Is he responsible for the persecution of Walker? Or is he perhaps directing the actions of some of his friends?
The movie offers no clear answers, and while that is refreshing, it also is a letdown. Audiences dislike abstractions; they want clear-cut resolutions that emotionally satisfy them.
“Luce” provides none of those.
A first-class cast supports Harrison Jr.’s Luce. Octavia Spencer’s Walker is a rigid and cold educator who seemingly has a habit of pigeonholing people and politicizing situations.
It agitates her that Luce does not seem to follow his prescribed trajectory, causing her to believe that underneath his charming veneer is a treacherous individual capable of dark deeds.
Naomi Watts is fierce as Amy, who refuses to accept or believe anything bad about her son. Tim Roth as Peter is more realistic and grounded. He also is resentful of Amy for sacrificing so many years of their marriage and pouring all her dedication into raising and repairing Luce.
“Luce” is a feature that will galvanize audiences; some will accept its haziness, while others may leave the theater dissatisfied.
My money is placed on the side of acceptance.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
LUCE
3 stars out of 4
(R), language, drug use, sexual content, nudity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5xPoINucr8