There are lots of films that try to capture the visual world of the 1970’s. Most of them wind up looking fake and staged (think American Gangster). Not Night Catches Us – it’s as if you are right back in time, standing in seedy 1970’s Philadelphia. The settings, the cinematography, the clothes, all near perfect in my estimation. Add to that a fabulous 1970’s soundtrack (used very effectively in the film) and you have a movie that really immerses the viewer in its own dated little world. It’s a very impressive accomplishment.

I really enjoyed Night Catches Us. It has an easy and smooth narrative style, and a warm, winning ensemble of actors. The story is interesting on multiple levels – it’s a love story, a generational story, and a political story, and all three story lines move forward together in a coherent and pleasing manner. The dialog is quite good by today’s standards. Plus, it deals with a very gutsy concept: the notion of resistance to state power, and recalling what black people had to endure from the FBI and the CIA during the 1970s. It’s a “statement film” that also manages to be engaging, memorable, and unpretentious. You don’t see that very often.

I thought Anthony Mackie was really good in the lead role of the ex-panther who returns unwelcome to his old stomping ground. The marvelous Kerry Washington is solid in the role of his former friend and love interest. The supporting and incidental casting is strong. There’s not a weak link in the casting, anywhere.

This film is better than most of the films nominated for Best Picture this year. Netfilx it and give it a whirl.