A Thousand and One is unfortunately not the prequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey. This has nothing for the film bros to pound fists or crunch popcorn at, it will only leave them with deep sadness and admiration for a first time director. This is a delicate and heavily gritty insight into the relationship shared between mother and son from 1994 to 2005 in Harlem, New York. We’re told what kind of New York we’re in from the first frame, a grainy orbit of The Empire State Building, backlit by an overcast sky. Inez is getting out of Rikers prison, back in her neighbourhood and trying to get back on her feet.
Inez searches out her son Terry, who is hesitant to speak to his mother after she had left him again. He is forced to warm up to her as she continually visits him in hospital after a foster home escape accident. She asks him if he would like to come and live with her instead, to which he says yes, setting us up on our foster care kidnapping story. Inez works her way from a friend’s house, to a shared living space, into their own home in Harlem, where Terry will grow up. Inez travels two hours back and forth each day for work as a cleaner out in Queens, working some night shifts too. We then meet Lucky, who poses a change to the dynamic that we have become accustomed to with Terry and Inez.
The film allows us time to form an opinion on Lucky, showing his care for Terry, telling him to walk on the inner part of the path for his protection, sharing passions with him and promising him safety at his wedding to Inez. They share a unique bond in this story, as Lucky initially states he never signed up for Terry, he only wanted to be with Inez. The further we progress the story, we see Terry and Lucky’s bond bloom, over music and we see the genuine love and care they have for each other, only displayed emotionally on the basketball court and the wedding day.. When Lucky gets sick, we see Terry sitting with him, without Inez, showing that Terry wanted to be there, wanted to spend the time with Lucky, to keep him company and grow the bond he’d come to love. Losing Lucky is manifested in anger and confusion for Terry as he’s unsure how to process the loss. He lashes out at Inez while she tries to confess something. He screams that the only thing he wanted more than a mom, was a dad. We do see this early on as one of the first things Terry askes Inez, while they sit down for pizza, is where his dad is. Inez tells him that he’s gone, but she has a good idea for someone, that being Lucky.
The Harlem apartment itself is representative of a lot. When Inez and Terry move in, Inez warns him to stay inside, don’t answer the door or answer any calls without knowing it's her on the line. Showing the danger of the area at the time, which is a time in their relationship where things are dangerous and uncertain. The home acts as a haven for them both, as somewhere they can live comfortably. We watch as Terry spends his first day home alone, playing with toys, with the TV on in the background, playing a documentary about Quincy Jones. The apartment becomes warmer as the family grow closer together, with the camera staying in the space with them. When turbulent conversations happen, the camera is placed at the end of the long hallway, not wanting to be a part of the turmoil. The first sign of physical change is the altercation that inez and Lucky have when she pushes him into the oven, causing the handle to come off and the metal to dent. The final manifestation of the situation comes when the landlord causes issues for them, leaving them without access to a toilet or shower. Directly leading to the pipes leaking from the ceiling, dealing water damage and cluttering the space with filled water buckets and casualties from the leakage. The house is not what it used to be anymore, its a place to survive, not to live.
We see Terry grow up in the course of this film, from age 6 to 17. He generally keeps his shy nature throughout, as he navigates being a minority in a prestigious school, with prospects of becoming an engineer or having a career in science. He is taken by music though, as he expresses to Simone, that he would like to be a composer, like Quincy Jones. His upbringing has kept him from a life of intense struggle and kept his sensitive side with him. He doesn’t quite grasp the sacrifices made by Inez for him, up until the end of the film, where he is losing her. The revelation of his birth mother sends his entire life into a spiral, one that could ruin everything Inez has helped him achieve. Her selflessness in his upbringing made sure he never went hungry, always seemed to have the latest gaming console and was pushed to further himself in education. The reveal that inez is not his true birth mother has taken his childhood away, and on a surface level, it has taken away his home, his comforts and his future. He is 17 when he finds this out, he mentions that in a few weeks he will be 18, when the foster system will no longer support him. His teacher is obligated to report that he may have been kidnapped, so in doing what she feels is right and morally sound, has taken every single thing that Terry could rely on, away from him.
The backdrop of New York in the late 90s and early 2000s plays perfectly for this story, as the gentrification of the city was fast tracked and the discrimination that minorities were subject to, went by without much question. The “stop-and-frisk” movement was at an all time high, with around 90% of these “stop-and-frisks” ending in no fines or convictions. This sets up a fear that Terry has, walking the streets back and forth from school or being out with his friends. News clips and speeches play throughout the film to show the landscape of the world at the time, bringing up gun violence and nonchalant police brutality taken out against African American and Hispanic communities. We also hear about jaywalking, and how the city would be cracking down on those who committed this crime. This is just another way for police to arrest and abuse those in minorities, for a small, non violent crime. We are shown images of boarded up houses, closed shops and people walking the streets as the mayor proudly exclaims his plans for enforcing these laws, showing the incredible disparity between rich and poor in the city and complete lack of priority to help these areas be safer and more accessible areas for those in need. New York’s gentrification problem is seen clearly in the film as we see it happening to Inez and Terry, being forced out of their home, while the landlord wants to refurbish the property, in order to sell to richer tenants.
While the story is bleak and unforgiving, the technical work going on, helps to keep this film on theme, with its tighter aspect ratio, overall less contrasty shots and consistent grain. The camera often is still, placed in areas to show the action, while framing the world around them to reflect the mood or tone at the time. The music perfectly blends with the mood, never overshadowing the action and yet always being sure to be present when needed to heighten a moment. The credits song is also an excellent culmination of the score, as its sombre tone is blended with an opposing hopeful note that Inez hits on, that Terry is going to be okay, she’s not worried about him.
I was blown away by this film, its ability to cram so much meaning and care behind every frame of story while also achieving a slow and contemplative experience is refreshing and devastating. I am ready for more stories like this, smaller stories with big impacts and incredible technical ability behind it. It also helps when the casting is impeccable for every single character. Every emotional moment is carried out with ease from each actor, in particular Teyana Taylor. This is one I will probably feel more for, the more I sit with it, I am hoping to find more and more within the story, just would like to I find a little bit of joy and hope in there while I’m searching.
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