In the smart psychological thriller “Luce,” Kelvin Harrison Jr., plays a reluctant poster boy for the new American Dream.
The film finds white liberal couple Amy and Peter Edgar (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth), reconsidering their impressions of their adopted black son after they discover he has written a disturbing essay for a history class at school.
In the process of exploring the teenager’s mindset, writer-director Julius Onah envisioned the young character’s identity crisis with some very precise reference points.“There were two models I gave Kelvin for the character while we rehearsed — Barack Obama and Will Smith,” Onah said.
“I see them as the epitome of a cool, non-threatening black masculinity.
They have power, they’re charismatic and are greatly influential, and, particularly with Obama, are highly intelligent.”Those names never come up in the movie, but much of the depth in “Luce” comes from everything that’s left unsaid.
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