A Journal for Jordan

Directed by Denzel Washington

★★½

Denzel’s Washington’s last film, Fences, was a performance showcase that netted several nominations and Viola Davis her first Academy Award. Washington’s follow up, A Journal For Jordan, isn’t nearly as robust where performances are concerned, but he has shown a better understanding for filmmaking with his newest piece.

A Journal For Jordan is based on a true story about a soldier, First Sgt. Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), and his relationship with his future wife and son. The film follows Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams), King’s love interest, as we see through her eyes the kind of man King is and how they came to fall in love.

It is an incredibly earnest film that feels a bit too ‘made-for-tv’ at times. The dialogue in particular is laughable and keeps the characters at arm's length. The characters speak in a manner in which one would have on a Sunday afternoon conversation with distant relatives, rather than a genuine late night conversation with someone close to them.

That being said, Jordan and Adams have a palpable chemistry, and you are constantly rooting for them. They are able to delve into the material and truly bring something out of the pedestrian dialogue that comes out of their mouths. Adams, who has been marketed as ‘introducing Chanté Adams’ in the marketing material, has an incredibly captivating screen presence and one of those movie star smiles that very few possess, making her an incredible casting find for Washington.

Overall, the film feels like the type of movie Tyler Perry tries to make, only Washington has a competence for camera placement and lighting, which truly elevates the lackadaisical screenplay. The only other major downfall is the film's pacing and narrative time jumps. The choice to jump constantly into the past and to the future ends up completely undermining the emotional impact of the film’s closing. Even though it may be a less ‘artistic’ choice, a linear approach would’ve been preferable.

While it is truly a beautiful story, the film can’t really become anything special due to its inherent flaws, causing it to just be passable, if not ultimately forgettable.