Review: 'The Photograph', A Beautiful Snapshot Of Modern Black Love

While there has been a clear rise in studio romances featuring black stars, it speaks to the relative lack of them that we still reach back to 1997's Love Jones as the prime example of black love represented on the big screen. The comparisons came quickly for The Photograph, a soulful, sultry film featuring the gorgeous, dark-skinned duo of Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield. As directed by Stella Meghie (Everything Everything), the film never shies away from the hues of her stars, instead she makes them glow in a mature love story that could've done with turning up the heat a little more.

If you're wondering why such a big deal is being made about the movie's brown-skinned stars, it's because too often black romances have skewed towards the lighter side. That's not a knock against the people in those movies, but Hollywood would rather give you Common and Paula Patton if they can keep getting away with it. So it's definitely a refreshing change to see a cast that leans towards the darker side, and to give us a chance to see Stanfield and Rae in a way we've never had the chance to before.

The Photograph centers on the unlikely romance between Mae (Rae) and Michael (Stanfield), two busy New York professionals having their struggles with commitment. For Michael, a photographer frequently traveling between the city and Louisiana for work, he's just coming out of a long-term, long-distance relationship. For Mae, staying committed is as unfathomable to her as it was to her estranged, recently-deceased mother, Christina (Chante Adams), a Louisiana photographer who fled the bayou for larger aspirations in the big city. Christina left behind at least one broken heart, Isaac (Rob Morgan), which is where Michael first sees her picture, and gets in touch with Mae to learn more about this elusive photog.

The story drifts somewhat clumsily between the 1980s, where Christina and a young Isaac (played by Rae's Insecure co-star Y'lan Noel) grapple with their conflicting ambitions; and the present where Mae and Michael face similar problems. Mae worries that she is just like her mother, incapable of standing still, too committed to her work. But when she's with Michael, those thoughts seem to melt away. Their first actual date actually looks and sounds like an actual date, where people talk about the things that connect us, in this case Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar. The conversation is natural, funny, and revealing. When Michael asks if it's too early for a kiss, we already know that it isn't.

Passion radiates from Rae and Stanfield together, including a steamy encounter during a raging hurricane ("Blame it on the storm", he says.). But for those expecting a bit more sizzle, The Photograph keeps it to a minimum. The woman sitting next to me literally asked on multiple occasions "That's it?", expecting to see a lot more action between the sheets. I couldn't help but agree. Instead, this is as much a movie about Mae's reconciling with her mother, attempting to figure out if they're both so broken as to be incapable of love. To illustrate the differences between the two women, Meghie spends an inordinate amount of time in Christina's past in Louisiana, with the flashbacks given a surreal, Nicholas Sparks-esque quality. Unfortunately, those scenes are as emotionally thin as one of Sparks' many adaptations, and are so somber it has us yearning for someone to spice things up. Lil Rel Howery and Teyonah Parris add a much-needed dose of humor as Michael's married brother and sister-in-law, who try and fail to warn him against falling too quickly in love

The Photograph is a stunningly beautiful movie, with Rae and Stanfield always kept in tight, warm focus by Meghie and DP Mark Schwartzbard. While the central romance is just a snapshot of what it could've been, modern black love has rarely looked so good.

3 out of 5



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Review: 'Monsters And Men', Powerful Drama Explores The Impact Of Police Violence

Whereas many a Sundance film has aimed for timelessness at the festival, this year it's clear timeliness is key. After day one's rousing premiere of Blindspotting which looks at the impact of an unarmed black man's death at the hands of cops, debut director Reinaldo Marcus Green's Monsters and Men offers a more textured, multi-faceted view. While it lacks the aforementioned film's passion and intensity, it is no less hard-hitting as a call for more understanding, and failing that, more activism.

Set in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, Green's film is inspired by the tragic death of Eric Garner, the unarmed New York man whose chokehold death at the hands of police gave birth to the "I Can't Breathe" movement. Interweaving three tales in the wake of a similar accident, the story follows Dennis, an African-American NYPD officer conflicted with the job in the wake of the killing. Frequently harassed when not in uniform, the film actually begins with him being pulled over for questionable reasons, Dennis is stuck between his sense of loyalty to the badge and the reality he sees on the street.

The most effective, and sadly least complete, segment follows Manny (Anthony Ramos), who videotaped the killing and uploads it to Youtube, sparking city-wide riots. But his decision has dire repercussions just as his life is starting to turn around; a new job with which to take care of his wife (Jasmine Cephas Jones, basically playing the same role she had in Blindspotting) and daughter suddenly goes up in smoke when the cops arrest him on false charges as means of payback.

Initially there's a disconnect with the third perspective, that of high school baseball phenom Zee (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who has a life away from the racially-charged madness if he just keeps his head down. His father (Mudbound's Rob Morgan, great once again) certainly encourages his son to shut everything else out, but Zee can't ignore what's happening to the city around him and joins with a local activist (Chante Adams) to protest the man's death.

An alum of Sundance's Screenwriters Lab and Sundance Institute Directors, Green drew from his own experiences growing up in New York, while also expanding on his 2015 short film Stop, which deals with racial profiling.  He handles the difficult material like a seasoned pro; many first-time filmmakers would have felt the need to turn up the heat and send an obvious message. But there's nothing easy about any of the stories Green tells, and all come with surprising revelations.

Dennis' story has the benefit of the charismatic John David Washington (in a twist on his BlacKkKlansman role), channeling his father Denzel's constant swagger and commanding presence. A genuinely good cop, who breaks into impromptu pickup basketball games with the locals, he's nevertheless a staunch backer of police tactics when he's cornered in an argument. But even then, Washington convinces us of what is truly in Dennis' heart. "The job isn't a choice", he tells his wife (Nicole Beharie), who just wants her husband home safe and out of the growing conflict.

But I was particularly struck by Anthony Ramos as Manny. Ramos, another native New Yorker just like Green, brings a realness that can't be faked. It's not hard to imagine that he's seen his share of racial injustice, in fact in the Q&A following the film's world premiere he spoke about what he's been through. And it comes through in his heartbreaking performance, as Manny gives a view that we've never seen on film before. We forget about the people who, sometimes at great risk, record police misconduct and make it public. Their stories deserve to be told, too.

Green doesn't go out of his way to tell a complete narrative, which is frustrating, especially in the case of Manny. And despite Green's best efforts, the title of the movie gives away at least a little bit of bias. Dennis may be a good cop but what's he going to do about the bad cops that make him and others look bad? That question is never posed and it desperately needed to be. But then, Dennis' story isn't over. None of these stories are over, they will keep going on. There will always be racism, there will always be injustice, and there will be triumphs. Monsters and Men recognizes that these are just small moments in a greater tale yet to be written.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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A Hip-Hop Legend Is Born In First Trailer For 'Roxanne Roxanne'

Well, look what's finally arrived. I saw Roxanne Roxanne at Sundance last year, expecting a hard-hitting tale about one of the fiercest female rappers alive, Roxanne Shante. While I praised the performance by breakout star and festival award winner Chante Adams, the results of the movie left me underwhelmed because of what it didn't cover about her life and career.

Now more than a year later we are finally getting the hip-hop biopic's first trailer. Adams stars as Roxanne Shante, the Queens MC who took the rap world by storm when she appeared on UTFO's hit track, "Roxanne's Revenge". But success wasn't enough to completely pull her free from the drugs and the crime that ruled the streets.  Nia Long, Mahershala Ali, Elvis Nolasco, Kevin Phillips, Shenell Edmonds, and Adam Horovitz co-star. Here's the synopsis:

Life is a battle.

In the early 1980s, the most feared battle MC in Queens, New York, was a fierce teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At the age of 14, Lolita “Roxanne Shante” Gooden was well on her way to becoming a Hip-Hop legend as she hustled to provide for her family while defending herself from the dangers of the streets.

Directed by Michael Larnell with beats by the RZA, Roxanne Roxanne hits Netflix on March 23rd.

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Sundance Review: 'Monsters And Men' Starring John David Washington And Anthony Ramos

Whereas many a Sundance film has aimed for timelessness at the festival, this year it's clear timeliness is key. After day one's rousing premiere of Blindspotting which looks at the impact of an unarmed black man's death at the hands of cops, debut director Reinaldo Marcus Green's Monsters and Men offers a more textured, multi-faceted view. While it lacks the aforementioned film's passion and intensity, it is no less hard-hitting as a call for more understanding, and failing that, more activism.

Set in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood, Green's film is inspired by the tragic death of Eric Garner, the unarmed New York man whose chokehold death at the hands of police gave birth to the "I Can't Breathe" movement. Interweaving three tales in the wake of a similar accident, the story follows Dennis, an African-American NYPD officer conflicted with the job in the wake of the killing. Frequently harassed when not in uniform, the film actually begins with him being pulled over for questionable reasons, Dennis is stuck between his sense of loyalty to the badge and the reality he sees on the street. 

The most effective, and sadly least complete, segment follows Manny (Anthony Ramos), who videotaped the killing and uploads it to Youtube, sparking city-wide riots. But his decision has dire repercussions just as his life is starting to turn around; a new job with which to take care of his wife (Jasmine Cephas Jones, basically playing the same role she had in Blindspotting) and daughter suddenly goes up in smoke when the cops arrest him on false charges as means of payback. 

Initially there's a disconnect with the third perspective, that of high school baseball phenom Zee (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who has a life away from the racially-charged madness if he just keeps his head down. His father (Mudbound's Rob Morgan, great once again) certainly encourages his son to shut everything else out, but Zee can't ignore what's happening to the city around him and joins with a local activist (Chante Adams) to protest the man's death. 

An alum of Sundance's Screenwriters Lab and Sundance Institute Directors, Green drew from his own experiences growing up in New York, while also expanding on his 2015 short film Stop, which deals with racial profiling.  He handles the difficult material like a seasoned pro; many first-time filmmakers would have felt the need to turn up the heat and send an obvious message. But there's nothing easy about any of the stories Green tells, and all come with surprising revelations.

Dennis' story has the benefit of the charismatic John David Washington, channeling his father Denzel's constant swagger and commanding presence. A genuinely good cop, who breaks into impromptu pickup basketball games with the locals, he's nevertheless a staunch backer of police tactics when he's cornered in an argument. But even then, Washington convinces us of what is truly in Dennis' heart. "The job isn't a choice", he tells his wife (Nicole Beharie), who just wants her husband home safe and out of the growing conflict.

But I was particularly struck by Anthony Ramos as Manny. Ramos, another native New Yorker just like Green, brings a realness that can't be faked. It's not hard to imagine that he's seen his share of racial injustice, in fact in the Q&A following the film's world premiere he spoke about what he's been through. And it comes through in his heartbreaking performance, as Manny gives a view that we've never seen on film before. We forget about the people who, sometimes at great risk, record police misconduct and make it public. Their stories deserve to be told, too.

Green doesn't go out of his way to tell a complete narrative, which is frustrating, especially in the case of Manny. And despite Green's best efforts, the title of the movie gives away at least a little bit of bias. Dennis may be a good cop but what's he going to do about the bad cops that make him and others look bad? That question is never posed and it desperately needed to be. But then, Dennis' story isn't over. None of these stories are over, they will keep going on. There will always be racism, there will always be injustice, and there will be triumphs. Monsters and Men recognizes that these are just small moments in a greater tale yet to be written.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Sundance Review: 'Roxanne Roxanne' Starring Chante Adams, Nia Long, And Mahershala Ali

If you grew up with hip-hop in the '80s then surely you know the name Roxanne Shante, the Queensbridge battle rappin' goddess who took rap by storm.  She became famous for her diss verse in which she took on the mantle of the unattainable "Roxanne" from UTFO's hit track "Roxanne Roxanne", and kicked off what became known as the "Roxanne Wars" in which female rappers battled up and down the state. The 14-year old Lolita "Shante" Gooden became an instant megastar, but her story isn't particularly well-known, which makes Roxanne Roxanne a great opportunity to give the rap legend some richly deserved shine.

The problem is that Roxanne Shante's story, full of hardship and drugs and abusive men, isn't particularly unique. The film, written and directed by Michael Larnell (who had the atrocious urban drama Cronies here at Sundance last year) gets by on the swagger of newcomer Chante Adams' furious performance and its immersion into the style and culture of hip-hop (Kangol is back, baby!), although one can't help but think there is a better Roxanne Shante story left to be told.

The film begins exactly where it should, however, with a young Roxanne and her best friend/hype man off to challenge a grown man to a rap battle. "The champ is here, the champ is here" ringing throughout the crowd as the man looks anxious to be battling a kid. "Can I curse?", Roxanne asks her mother (Nia Long), who responds, "I don't care what you do as long as you get that $50."

It's a small example of the economic turmoil Roxanne and her family deal with, made worse by the presence of no-good men in their lives. Her mom's hopes of leaving the projects for a better life dashed by a man who ran off with her down payment, the resulting depression sends Roxanne (and her mother) spiraling down different paths. Mom turns to liquor, while Roxanne turns to shoplifting and battle rapping to make ends meet. While going off to do laundry she's called out by Marley (legendary DJ Marley Marl) to do a verse set to the aforementioned UTFO beat. The resulting track, "Roxanne's Revenge", blew up and Roxanne Shante was born. But with success comes more problems, like the attentions of men who don't have her best interests. Oscar-nomined Moonlight star Mahershala Ali takes on another drug dealer role as Cross, except there's no heart of gold within this thug. While he lavishes the still-teenage Roxanne with expensive gifts to buy her affections, he has no problems with putting his hands on her, either. In one of Larnell's most impressive visual cues we zip through the entirety of Roxanne and Cross' relationship. The camera positioned behind her head, we experience three levels of pain she faces: first when Cross takes her virginity (she's maybe 15 at this point), then as she gives birth to their son, and then later as he's dragging her across the floor.

Rockin' braces and Roxanne Shante's fearsome scowl, Chante Adams captures the rapper's angry energy and love of the battle.When breaks into a battle it really is like seeing the old Roxanne Shante back at the height of her powers, while Long shines in a role that is as tough as it is tender. Ali, who has spent the last year playing good-hearted criminals, doesn't get any redemptive qualities to chew on this time and the role can't help but feel like a worn-out stereotype.

Fans of hip-hop's golden era will find a lot to smile about. The shoes, the clothes, everything feels authentic, right down to the dookie gold chains.  When part of Roxanne's crew offers to beatbox her next show, we instantly know that guy is future icon Biz Markie. Other key figures in rap history pop up, such as MC Shan and a young kid we know will grow up to be Nas. After introducing the four elements of hip-hop (breakin', rappin', graffiti, DJing) early on I was hoping we'd see a little bit more of that represented, but what Larnell does get across is how hip-hop, and Roxanne's success, was seen as a source of pride to the poor Queensbridge residents.

Oddly enough, the film comes to rest at a point that shows promise for Nas rather than Roxanne. It's a strange decision, but perhaps the reason is that Roxanne Shante's career never really takes off the way it should have. The years she spent with Cross were her moment to shine but the one thing they didn't produce was an album. By the time she had finally gotten away from him, her moment was gone. There's a more interesting story to be told about Roxanne's wasted potential, and it comes just when the movie is wrapping up. Roxanne Roxanne prefers to end on a hopeful note rather than an honest one. But the entire movie pretty much lets her off the hook for any bad decisions, preferring to put blame on untrustworthy men.  A more "warts and all" biopic might have left the kind of indelible mark that Roxanne Shante left on the world of hip-hop.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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