I don’t know if LaKeith Stanfield believes in God, but I know acting is his religion.
The actor is playing not one but two roles in Jesse Seymour’s latest film The Book of Clarence. Stanfield plays twin brothers Clarence and Thomas, who was one of Jesus’ apostles. (The last time an actor took on a dual role this well was Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap.) Unlike Thomas, Clarence and his loyal best friend Elijah (RJ Cyler) are up to no good. They are known as the neighborhood troublemakers, who peddle marijuana in exchange for some shekels.
The Book of Clarence tells a story that wasn’t included in the Bible, but it should have been. Stanfield stars as Clarence, a nonbeliever who is resentful of Jesus, and believes Jesus stole his brother away from his family. The story takes place in Jerusalem when people began following Jesus as the Messiah. Clarence finds himself in a tight spot financially, owing money to a powerful man named Jedediah (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), so he concocts a plan to get out of his debt.
Before that, Clarence puts his pride aside when he realizes his life is on the line unless he comes up with the money and asks his brother Thomas for help. When he’s met with indifference from Thomas, who calls him a “nobody,” Clarence realizes it’s up to him to change his own luck.
After hearing stories about Jesus and his miracles and witnessing his committed following, Clarence realizes how lucrative being a prophet could be and sets out to make a name for himself as a Messiah. He enlists Elijah and a slave named Barabbas (Omar Sy) to help carry out fake miracles to trick people into believing in him. With that money and power, not only would he be able to pay what he owes but he could land his dream girl Varinia (Anna Diop) and be able to care for his mother.
Clarence then embarks on a journey that transforms him from valuing knowledge over faith to becoming a believer. He looks outside of himself and his needs to help others and he finds more value in that than in his petty desires. While he thought he knew the truth about God, it is only through his own miracle that he learns to believe.
The film also tackles a variety of topics and conversations, most of which directly affect the Black community while creating a story that shows Black people at the center of Jesus’ story—who in the film, as is in the Bible, is Black.
Stanfield, already an Oscar nominee, showcases his incredible range even further with this film. He can float between the comedic and the dramatic moments in the film with absolute ease, and even in the film’s most outlandish moments, (like an unnecessary dance sequence between the men and women toward the end), you don’t stop believing everything the actor is attempting to convey.
Samuels provided plenty of space for Stanfield to explore his versatility and the performance further cements him as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. It also didn’t hurt to pair him with other outstanding actors like RJ Cyler, Omar Sy, David Oyelowo Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, James McAvoy, and the great Benedict Cumberbatch (in one of his most fascinating roles to date.)
Stanfield’s charisma is undeniable and even when the character strays far from God’s light, you can’t help but root for him to succeed. Stanfield possesses a jagged softness in this role that we haven’t seen from him before, and through The Book of Clarence, he makes it clear to any future directors that he is a convincing and mighty leading man that elevates any project he is in.
If there’s any movie you watch in theaters this weekend, The Book of Clarence should be it.
