The hate magazine U Give: Amandla Stenberg shines in the urgent adaptation

There are two Starr Carters. It was Starr Carter who was born and raised in the neighborhood (fictional, though easy to find) of the Garden Heights neighborhood. Mostly black and constantly in the grip of violence, this is the same place as her parents and the one her father is determined to follow, no matter the price. Then there is Starr Carter who attends the William Williamson School with his mostly white student body, where she watches every word she says and the way she says it so as not to be perceived as a ' ghetto".

In George Tillman's "The Hate U Give", adapted by Audrey Wells to the Angie Thomas National Book Award winner, the duality of Starr is driving a story too timely, and star Amandla Stenberg Easily embodies both sides of her character, continuing to prove why she is one of the most exciting young actresses working today. A film about the transition to adulthood, part of the drama torn from the titles, "The Hate U Give" is consumed by seemingly disparate existences, and while the identities of Starr face a horrible tragedy, Tillman and his star seems ready to burn at any moment.

Stenberg, who is always good and improves in one way or another, is surrounded by a cast that keeps the film and its many messages: his father, Maverick (Russell Hornsby ) and his mother Lisa (Regina King, very reliable, wants to raise her children to a better life.) She has loving and intelligent brothers Seven (Lamar Johnson) and Sekani (TJ Wright), and even her well-meaning boyfriend Chris (KJ Apa) is desperate to better understand his girlfriend, Starr's desire to share her life with all the people she loves most, and she is forced to join everyone (and all) after witnessing a terrible crime.

Thomas was inspired to write his novel after the murder of Oscar Grant by the police in 2009, and Tillman made it an urgent film that never feels cheap, a story lived with a major message. After a neighborhood party turned violent, Starr and his childhood friend Khalil (Algee Smith, pure charm) pause and end up being arrested for a traffic error. While Starr has spent all his life learning to behave with the police – the movie literally begins with Maverick giving instructions to kids on how to survive a clash, a heartbreaking and still necessary lesson for many black kids – Khalil is less preoccupied and, as a hysterical Starr prays his friend to remain motionless, he returns to the car for a hairbrush.

It's not a gun, but it does not matter to the policeman who took them, and he quickly shoots and kills Khalil as Starr struggles to comfort his friend. It's a brutal and visceral scene, but Tillman continues to sneak between the heartbreaking tragedy and the transition to the age of majority, even as Starr's ability to separate his worlds breaks down. As the only witness to the crime, Starr wants to honor Khalil, but it threatens his own safety and anonymity. A subplot about a nasty local drug dealer (Anthony Mackie) for whom Khalil was working to confuse the waters, and Starr's plight turned into an emotion that could threaten his life.

And yet, life goes on. As Starr goes through a "normal" teenage experience, from preparing the prom to the fight with her boyfriend, she also has to deal with emotional trauma and her growing awareness of the movements that are taking place at her door. classmates use the same revolution to act in fashion. Despite its important subject, "The Hate U Give" is always entertaining and shamelessly designed for a wide audience. The worlds of Starr coexist in the film as they do in his life.

Although the film is mainly about Starr's story, Wells's screenplay includes a handful of hints from other characters who threaten to steal the film from its veracity. Common appears as Starr's uncle, Carlos, a police officer who delivers a speech to remind people that not all cops are bad. Issa Rae briefly appears as a well-intentioned community organizer who pushes Starr to realize the power of his own experience, an argument that does not need to be hammered into a film entirely dedicated to this end.

Tillman's course corrects these mistakes, and the film ends on a powerful note that marries both sides of Starr's world beautifully. It is a film that contains multitudes and only requires a world ready to do the same.

Grade: B +

"The Hate U Give" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Fox 2000 will debut in theaters on October 19th.

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