Entertainment

Middle Of Nowhere

Los Angeles nurse Ruby (Emayatzy Corinealdi) has put her life on hold while her husband Derek (Omari Hardwick) is in jail, halfway through an eight-year sentence.

Her single-mom sister (Edwina Findley), fearsome mother (Lorraine Toussaint) and even the handsome bus driver who wants to take her out (David Oyelowo) are unable to push Ruby into moving on. Until, that is, a revelation during a parole hearing shakes her faith.

Director Ava DuVernay, in showing Ruby’s life in waiting, occasionally lets the pace slip into tedium. The low-key plotting and passive central character means the movie depends on its actors. The delicate, doe-eyed Corinealdi does manage to keep Ruby’s devotion to a flawed man credible. Even better is Toussaint: Her command, “Hold your head up, please” — delivered while Ruby is requesting a loan — offers all the exposition you need concerning Ruby’s childhood. Mom’s toughness makes it more believable when Ruby finally shows some, too.