No one should expect a first feature to set the world on fire (only “Citizen Kane” really has). Right out of the gate, a novice filmmaker has so much to learn both about the form itself and the process of executing a vision. Usually, it just marks a rough draft to show what the filmmaker can eventually become.
Ava DuVernay’s directorial debut, “I Will Follow,” is certainly no exception. The 80 minute film is essentially a one-act play in structure that she shoots as a Lifetime movie. Set in a time where “could be” has turned into “should have,” the gentle elevator muzak serves as an invitation to a walking cliché. The film recalls Matthew Weiner’s “Are You Here,” another first feature that gets mired in easy traps for rookies.
Her protagonist Maye (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) journeys from messiness to orderliness and ignorance towards knowledge as she sorts through the estate of her late aunt. In the process, she takes an inventory of her own life. So, in essence, nothing particularly revelatory.
“I Will Follow” is not all bad, however. Every once in a while, a glimmer of poise breaks through. DuVernay does manage to find some interesting editing tempos that provide some life when the story and acting gets almost unbearably hokey. There are some compelling family dynamics, namely between Aunt Amanda’s daughter and nieces; resentments that were bubbling under the surface during her life find screaming release in her death.
Perhaps with better actors and a less cloying underscore, these scenes would play out more authentically and artistically. But plenty of great filmmakers have begun their careers in the B-movie realm. Look no further than the “Roger Corman Filmmaking School,” which produced such ingenues as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, Jonathan Demme, and James Cameron. So take heart! Just because “I Will Follow” is pretty crummy does not mean Ava DuVernay’s work moving forwards will be of a similar tenor. C / 
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