American Violet

It's beautifully told, passionate and sensitive to the true story and the victims that lived it.

While it may be about as subtle as a swinging sledgehammer, it does leave its mark.

A well-played if too-familiar story of oppression and injustice.

A conventional but wholly gripping docudrama.

A torn-from-the-headlines tale of institutional racism and injustice in the Lone Star State of not-so-long-ago, American Violet might not be subtle, but it's certainly powerful.

Director Tim Disney and screenwriter Bill Haney lay out Dee's story with a minimum of fuss. They are smart enough to realize that the material is compelling all on its own.

At the center of the drama is Nicole Beharie, who inhabits her role as a woman unjustly maligned with intelligence, conviction and regal sense of pride.

Less a social-problem film than a drama of personal courage.

Nicole. Beharie. Remember the name, for if her stunning lead turn is any indication, huge things are in the future.

[American Violet] is so compelling and intriguing that it's easy for the audience to forget they're being preached to.