I Will Follow

Unlike the driving U2 song from which it takes its title, I Will Follow is a quiet, thoughtful film, starring Salli Richardson-Whitfield as Maye, for whom the death of a beloved aunt is as devastating as the loss of a parent. The story covers just one day in a bungalow north of Los Angeles, where Maye spent the past year caring for Amanda, who refused treatment for her terminal cancer. After her death, Maye helps Amanda's daughter, Fran (Michole White), and Fran's teenage son, Raven (Dijon Talton), pack up Amanda's belongings, and in the process, recalls some of the times that she and her aunt (Beverly Todd, who appears in flashbacks) spent together. Maye clearly knew Amanda—a session drummer for jazz and rock-and-roll bands—better than Fran did; the latter may have found her mother to be an interesting person, but not the best parent (in anger and jealousy, Fran dismisses Maye as a “groupie”). But the music and the recollections do create a bridge with Raven, to whom Maye admits, “I wanted to be just like her.” Maye's thoughts also revolve around her withering relationship with her boyfriend, Evan (Blair Underwood). Writer-director Ava DuVernay's subtle urban drama takes inspiration from her own experience, deftly exploring the complex intertwining of grief and memory that ultimately affects us all. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)