‘The Book of Clarence’ Review: My Jesus is Black, My Jerusalem is Too

I’ll never forget the Sunday morning I saw my mother step over my “sleeping” older brother to wake me up for church. I was livid. “Why do I have to go and he doesn’t? He needs Jesus way more than I do” Mom, tried to change the subject by saying I needed to get communion. To which i responded, “I can get my own damn juice and crackers!” All of which is to say, I’ve never been the most religious person. I can accept there’s something bigger than me and all that, but I’m not deep into religion. So, when I tell you The Book of Clarence made religion something beautiful on the screen to witness. Please know that I tell you no lies. The Book of Clarence revolves around Clarence (Lakeith Stanfield), a grifter with being dreams of something more than the circumstances of poverty have allowed. He’s joined by Elijah (RJ Cyler), his friend that’s supportive of his schemes. After losing a horse race to Mary Magdalene (Teyana Taylor), Clarence finds himself deeper in debt to Jedediah the Terrible (Eric Kofi-Abrefa). Clarence had thirty days to pay back his debt or that’s his ass. Clarence then gets the idea to get baptize and join Jesus’ apostles. When Thomas (Clarence’s twin brother), who is also an apostle, dismisses Clarence even after he takes up the near impossible task Judas (Micheal Ward) gives him. We start to see a shift in the mentality of Clarence. He then decides that since Jesus be out here doing miracles tricks, and people be giving their money for it, he’ll do stage Jesus’…