this is one hell of a farewell performance, full of wit and fire; Seeing these actors, the late Boseman chief among them, relish the opportunity to try to get a daunting stage-to-screen adaptation right: That's a privilege to behold
powerhouse performances in a bluesy hymn of sorrow; Watching actors of this caliber lose themselves in characters of such aching humanity is ample reward, with Boseman's towering work standing as a testament to a blazing talent lost too soon
Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis give an acting masterclass; Boseman, in his final appearance on screen, makes both the bitter and the sweet of the story sing: a pointed arrow of hurt, hope and untapped fury, heartbreakingly alive in every scene
Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis deliver superb performances in this timeless meditation on Black art, and those who would exploit it. Yet another fine adaptation of an August Wilson play
August Wilson's play comes to vivid life in a Netflix adaptation that owes much to its dynamic performers; The result is a stagey chamber piece with occasional flashes of musical intensity and thematic depth to spare
an exciting, trenchant film version of the August Wilson play; George C. Wolfe finds the right balance between letting Wilson's trademark monologues flow and shooting them in a cinematic way that keeps the film moving
a ferocious opera of passion and pain; Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman are each the immovable object and irresistible force; A detonation of pure acting firepower is what's on offer in this movie version of August Wilson's 1982 stage play
"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" is one final, brilliant showcase for Chadwick Boseman; this is undoubtedly Boseman's show and will likely live on as his greatest work
"Ma Rainey" is a good enough watch when it's simply zooming in on seriously gifted actors selling these anecdotes for all they're worth – and all with a classic blues soundtrack to power it along
by Michael Phillips [Chicago Tribune ]
by Caryn James [BBC ]
by Kambole Campbell [Time Out New York ]
