James Laxton
Biography
James Laxton is an American cinematographer who is best known for his collaborations with filmmaker Barry Jenkins, specifically his work on Jenkins' 2016 film Moonlight, for which he won an Independent Spirit Award and received an Academy Award nomination.
If Beale Street Could Talk was also a Jenkins collaboration. The film features a tragic love story set in 1970s New York City, between Clementine "Tish" Rivers (played by KiKi Layne) and wood artist Alonzo "Fonny" Hunt (played by Stephan James). The two struggle against racism, sexual harassment and assault, and a false rape accusation. The film is based on a novel by James Baldwin and uses a non-linear structure.
In discussing the success of the movie, which has been described as “trading docu-realism for crafted visual poetry of the highest level,” Laxton and Jenkins accredited their years-long process of conversation and collaboration.
