A Thousand and One [Blu-ray]

Director: A.V. Rockwell A.V. Rockwell

Overview

The foster care system can be punishing for children, especially when they are living in a hostile situation. Inez (Teyana Taylor) commits a necessary crime and kidnaps a six-year-old boy named Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola). Now, the new mother and son duo must try to live a normal life, albeit in a turbulent and changing New York City. Inez must do everything in her power to protect, and hold onto, her new son. Directed by A.V. Rockwell.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/26/2023
UPC:	0810134942530
Original Release:	2023
Rating:	R
Source:	Universal
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	19,058

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Teyana Taylor	Inez de la Paz
Aaron Kingsley Adetola	Terry 6 Years Old
Aven Courtney	Terry 13 Years Old
Josiah Cross	Terry 17 Years Old
William Catlett	Lucky
Terri Abney	Kim Jones
Delissa Reynolds	Mrs. Jones
Amelia Workman	Anita Tucker
Adriane Lenox	Miss Annie
Gavin Schlosser	Pea 6 Years Old
Jolly Swag	Pea 13 Years Old
Azza El	Simone 14 Years Old
Alicia Pilgrim	Simone 17 Years Old
Jennean Farmer	Ms. Janie (Foster Mom)
Kal-El White	Shawn (Foster Brother)
Jamier Williams	Michael H. (Foster Brother)
Mychelle Dangerfield	Shelter Resident
Naya Desir-Johnson	Foster Sister
Artrece Johnson	Patrice
John Maria Gutierrez	Rudy(as John Aria Gutierrez)
Mark Gessner	Jerry
Tara Pacheco	Alicia
Edward Staudenmayer	Officer Philips
Robert Keiley	Stop N Frisk Officer
Bianca Laverne Jones	Lady in Car (Hair Customer)
Madeline Mahoney	White Female Neighbor

Technical Credits

A.V. Rockwell

Eddie Vaisman	Producer
A.V. Rockwell	Screenwriter
Brad Weston	Producer
Rishi Rajani	Producer
Oren Moverman	Executive Producer
Julia Lebedev	Producer,Executive Producer
Lena Waithe	Producer
Negin Salmasi	Executive Producer
A.V. Rockwell	Director,Executive Producer
Rachel Jacobs	Executive Producer
Jamin O'Brien	Executive Producer

Editorial Reviews

Written and directed by A.V. Rockwell, A Thousand and One is a powerful drama that highlights the struggles of personal relationships within the family dynamic. The superb acting and impactful moments overshadow a few inconsistencies and an uneven script to come through enough to deliver cinema worth experiencing. Inez (Teyana Taylor) has had a rough go of it. Finally out of jail and off Rikers Island, she has no biological family to turn to, and she finds herself struggling to make ends meet. When she sees her 6-year-old boy, Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola), on the sidewalk, she inquires about how things are going in his foster home. And when she later learns that he has been admitted to the hospital, her concerns grow so much that she offers to take him away. Now in Harlem, Inez does what she can to raise Terry on her own, trying to give him a better childhood than he would have had otherwise. Along the way, an on-again-off-again relationship with Lucky (William Catlett), legal concerns, and teenage drama, lead both Inez and Terry to ponder who exactly is family, and where do they belong. Things are not always as they seem, and sometimes realizing that can shatter one's dreams. There is a poignant, captivating, and realistic story that Rockwell is able to bring forth, causing the audience to ponder some of the aforementioned questions themselves. The emotional drama is as deep as the ocean is wide, and viewers will feel it as they start to care about the characters. The main successes are due to the able camera work, headed up by cinematographer Eric K. Yue, as well as the marvelous acting. Almost the entire main cast brings award-worthy performances. Taylor is formidable and very credible as the troubled protagonist. Meanwhile, Josiah Cross gives a breakout performance. The cracking of his voice as emotions spill out of his character comes across as genuine. His star shines extremely bright in this role, truly an A+ performance. The only knock in any of those emotional scenes may be that there isn't more: more tears, more anguish, more response. But this is likely due to what the script calls for, which is not as consistent. Rockwell's dialog isn't as strong as her direction, as some parts lag while other scenes engage; and tighter editing could have assisted the pace as well. The film really picks up in the third act, though, after Cross enters the picture as 17-year-old Terry. He comes in and transitions the character seamlessly from 6-year-old Terry. 13-year-old Terry (Aven Courtney) feels slightly out of place compared with the other two, with a significantly different demeanor and personality; however, this it isn't enough to detract from the story. The drama is real in A Thousand and One. Though the script and editing are somewhat underwhelming, the saga does finish strongly. Moviegoers need to go in with a patient mindset, and if they do, the payoff is more than worth it. At the heart of this film is the human heart. Mistakes are made, and there are consequences. This story demonstrates these truths, and it does so in rather realistic fashion.