I finally caught up with American Son on Netflix, having not seen it on stage. I don't want to review it as a film, as it really felt like a taped play, which makes sense, and worked for me.
Overall, I liked it, though it took a little bit for it to get moving for me. It wasn't until Lt. Stokes arrived on the scene (well played by Eugene Lee) that I really felt invested in the story and I must admit I was on the edge of my seat for the remainder of the film. Initially, the ending took me by surprise but the more I thought about it, it made sense. Definitely packed a punch.
Kerry Washington was good, though not great. How did she register onstage? The earlier mentioned Eugene Lee was excellent and I thought fared best of the cast. Steven Pasquale and Jeremy Jordan were good, but like Washington, not great. I easily could have seen any number of actors in those roles. I wonder what prompted their casting especially as they are both known mostly for musical theatre. (not to say they shouldn't spread their wings a bit!)
Overall, a solid 90 minutes. I'd be interested to hear comments from people who saw both the film verson and the stage production. |
