Eve's Bayou (1997)

Family, love and relationships, Louisiana style circa 1962.

The color and scenery in Eve's Bayou is wonderful. The people are elegant and troubled. Even the character's names stir up visions of dark swamp water and sultry heat. How does a young child of 10 kill her father? Was it murder or something else? The how and why is revealed at the end of the child's disturbing tale.

The story is told and seen through the eyes of little Eve Batiste played by a wonderful young actress named Jurnee Smollett. The story starts in 1962 deep in the Louisiana Bayou area. Little Eve takes us deep into her world which is filled with colorful characters and complex personalities. Diahann Carroll is fabulous as the old fortune teller Elzora with her insane laughter. Debbi Morgan as Aunt Mozelle Batiste Delacroix is something to behold. Aunt Mozelle has promised her family that she will not use her "second sight" to tell fortunes, but neighbors won't let her keep her promise. They seek her out to find missing husbands anyway. Lynn Whitfied as the manor born wife is beautiful and poised as she tries to keep her family together in spite of her wandering husband (Samuel L. Jackson). Jackson is very sexy in this movie and his character has roving eyes as well as roving hands that don't stop even when he is caught in a compromising position by his youngest daughter, Eve. This single action starts a set of events that lead to the total destruction of an already deeply troubled family.

Although this movie did not make history at the box office, my guess is that it will become a cult classic. If you are a collector of all film genres, this is the one to see and collect. Years from now, it will be viewed for what it is, a brilliantly produced gem. You can literally feel the Louisiana heat from Eve's Bayou. If the character 'Harry' looks familiar to you, he is none other than saxophonist, Branford Marsalis.

Rated R