This film premiered at the 2020 AFI Fest and went virtually unnoticed for almost a year. It only has five reviews, as of this date, on Rotten Tomatoes and only two reviews on Metacritic, which isn't enough to give it a score there. It doesn't deal with an issue or issues that could be considered hard-hitting nor could it be considered a cinematic spectacle, such as
Farewell Amor (2020) or
Tragic Jungle (2021), which were two other films from the 2020 AFI Fest, involving people of color, particularly Black people. What this film does is what one of its lead characters says about what he wants his own work to do. This film shows Black people being normal where there isn't some social justice to seek or trauma to overcome. It's just Black people being normal. Director and co-writer Angel Kristi Williams along with co-writer Felicia Pride accomplish and achieve in simple and subtle terms what the titular character in Sam Levinson's
Malcolm & Marie (2021) was screaming.
Kofi Siriboe (Girls Trip and Queen Sugar) stars as Isaiah Maxwell, an aspiring artist who works as a painter. He has the support and tutelage of a more successful or well-known artist, named Yusef Davis, played by Michael Ealy (Think Like a Man and Barbershop). He lives in Washington, DC, among a group of well-to-do African Americans who dabble or exist mainly in the art and music scenes. He's struggling a bit in his career but he clearly has talent and is on the verge of discovery. In that sense, this film can't help but invoke such classics in Black cinema, such as Love Jones (1997).
Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing co-stars as Stevie Richman, an aspiring lawyer who went to Howard University and Georgetown Law. She comes from a more bourgeoisie background. However, she does have her own street cred, as it were. She was born and raised in Washington, DC, but she's not as tied to the city as others might be, including Isaiah. It doesn't stop her though from falling for him. However, their allegiance to this particular city is tested and is what tests their relationship, as the two start taking different directions with their careers. The recent
Sylvie's Love (2020) by Eugene Ashe had a Black couple stress over their careers but it's set in the past. This film is a veritable, modern-day version of Ashe's flick.
Yet, it doesn't matter because the push and pull of any great romance or romantic story is felt here, thanks in part to the performances from Siriboe who is his typically, beautifully understated self and Wong-Loi-Sing who is a fresh face but has a glow about her that is very alluring but who can do so much with just her face. It's also interesting that Wong-Loi-Sing goes topless several times in this film. It never totally feels exploitative. It helps that a woman is the director. It's a good nod back to films that beautifully handled Black sexuality like Jason's Lyric (1994).
Rated TV-MA.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 35 mins.Available on Netflix.
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