The Photograph review: A sweet movie with the right mix of humor and realism
Valentine’s Day weekend always provides us with great movies to see with your significant other. The Photograph is the perfect one for you to fall in love with.
Love can be a challenge! The Photograph examines the healthy black love that is not normally displayed in mainstream society. It had a positive depiction of two young, black and successful people who fall for one another, have ups and downs, but never lose respect for each other. Stella Meghie’s The Photograph is two entwined love stories, one set in the present, the other in the late 1980s.
Michael Block, a New York writer for The Republic is working on a story which leads him to meet Issac Jefferson (Rob Morgan). While visiting Issac at his time, he comes across a picture of Christina Eames (Chante Adams) who was Issac’s former love. After learning about Christina, Mike becomes curious about Christina’s photography and meets her daughter Mae.
In flashbacks set in Louisiana, younger Christina’s life is revealed, including the backstory of her relationship with Issac. As Mae and Michael look to the past for answers, they just might stumble upon a love of their own that could affect their future forever. Christina dies suddenly from cancer, leaving Mae curious about Christina’s life and the choices that she made.
The chemistry between Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield was captivating. Christian and Younger Issac played by Y’lan Noel and Chanté Adams was so brilliant to see on-screen. Everyone in The Photograph brought a unique presence to the film captures the scene of understanding the value of love. The music selection in The Photograph was perfect capturing your emotions and pulls you into the story while taking you on an emotional ride.
There were moments in the beginning where the movie was just a bit slow, but quickly picked up. I also wanted to see Mae and Michael romance bloom a little bit more. One of the best parts of The Photograph was of the movie was Micheal brother Kyle (Lil Rel Howery), he provided comic relief and made accurate points which helped Micheal put into perspective what he wanted out of love.
The Photograph is now playing in theaters.