Film Review – Shirley (2024)

While John Ridley has a distinguished career as a screenwriter (winning an Academy Award for “12 Years a Slave”), he’s not the most consistent director. Previously helming features like “Needle in a Timestack” and “Jimi: All Is by My Side,” Ridley returns with a study of political and personal determination in “Shirley,” which shares the story of a planned path to the American presidency for congressperson Shirley Chisholm in 1972, who battled all sorts of dismissal and doubt to attempt something incredible as a black woman. There’s a noble effort here to provide inspirational cinema for viewers that need it, with Ridley reinforcing Chisholm’s personal quest to bring real change to the system, believing she could do good for the nation. A sharp lead performance from Regina King helps to keep “Shirley” moving with dignity and emotion, but such thespian commitment can’t always prevent Ridley from delivering bio-pic staleness and needless speechifying, which gradually diminishes the viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com