The Photograph

Streaming: HBO
Warnings:
Sex
Strong Language
Rating: PG-13

  The Photograph is a dramatic romance that follows an estranged daughter of a famous photographer who falls in love with a journalist who is researching her mother’s life for a story. This film is a love story for the ages, it intertwines the past and present to show two different romances. Written and directed by Stella Meghie, the film takes the audience on a beautiful journey that is playful and passionate. Meghie is known for her direction of television series including Grown-ish, Insecure and First Wives Club. She is currently set to direct the Whitney Houston biopic called, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which is set to be released in 2022. The film stars Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Y’lan Noel, Chanté Adams, Lil Rel Howrey, and Marsha Stephanie Blake. The Photograph is a film that is not necessarily comparable to other romantic films. The film has a more modern approach and its distinctive because of the writing, acting and the music. The Photograph is a more in-depth type of romantic film that most audiences are not used to and that is what makes the storyline convincing and appealing.

The writing is well done and allows the audience to understand the characters as they are. The characters are complex, and specifically the women are portrayed in a positive light without the male gaze tarnishing their personality traits. This is important to mention because in many romantic films, the woman’s only goal is to find a male counterpart however in this film, Issa Rae’s character Mae Morton doesn’t revolve her life around the pursuit of a man. In addition to that, Mae’s character doesn’t have to “fix” LaKeith Stanfield’s character Michael Block in any way. Both Mae and Michael are successful and well-adjusted throughout the film which is something that is unique to a romantic drama. In addition to that, both characters are not willing to compromise their own career goals for each other, many romantic dramas involve someone giving up on a goal for their significant other which isn’t practical to real life concerns. The Photograph portrays romance in a more authentic manner which is what makes the film engaging to watch.

The acting from Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield is something to praise, they both portray the characters authentically and they each have clear goals for themselves. On Rotten Tomatoes the critics consensus states, “Gorgeous visuals, an affecting love story, and simmering chemistry between Issa Rae and LeKeith Stanfield keep The Photograph solidly in focus.” It is also important to note the roles of Ylan Noel who plays Young Isaac Jefferson, and Chanté Adams who plays Young Christine Eames, both do a wonderful job showing how their characters are struggling and connecting them to their older selves. In general, the film takes the audience on a heartfelt journey that is unexpected and sincere.

Since The Photograph is partially based in New Orleans and partially based in New York, it is important to comment on the musical score. The film changes from different types of jazz from scene to scene, each type highlighting the location and the emotion of the moment perfectly. Robert Andre Glasper who is an American jazz pianist, record producer, songwriter and musical arranger created the musical soundtrack for the film. Glasper is an award-winning musician and it certainly shows consistently in the film. Glasper claims that the music of Miles Davis has had a significant influence of his style as a musician. He states, “I’m obviously influenced by Miles Davis – even just the psyche of how he thinks about music… how he moves through and always wanted to reflect the times he’s in. That’s what I’m doing now. He opened that door.” This interest shows through the music chosen for the film as well as how the jazz changes from New York to New Orleans. The music is a really strong part of the film and it certainly adds to the success.

Most romantic dramas fall flat because of their lack of complex characters, their inattention to musical detail and their absence of complex writing however, The Photograph has all three of these elements. It creates two storylines that allow multiple characters to show their own truth while showcasing that romance doesn’t have to completely blow up a person’s life. This film is a practical romance that considers both the male character and the female character’s wants and needs rather than the usual “damsel in distress” approach. This approach is what made the film interesting and effective. I highly recommend this film if you are interested in watching a romantic drama with a feminist lens.

Roxanne Roxanne

Streaming: Netflix (with Subscription)
Warnings:
Domestic Abuse
Violence
Drugs
Sexual Abuse
Sex
Rating: TV-MA

Roxanne Roxanne is a coming-of-age drama based in the late 80s/early 1990s following the fiercest battle MC in Queens, New York. Roxanne Shanté at the age of 14 was well on her way to become a hip-hop legend. She hustled and did what she had to do to provide for her family while experiencing trauma that no teenage girl should ever face. Roxanne Roxanne is a necessary film portraying the hardships women face when entering a world that is predominantly male centric. Written and directed by Michael Larnell and co-produced by Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, the film has a lot of big names attached to it. Starring Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, Elvis Nolasco, Kevin Phillips and Shenell Edmonds. Roxanne Roxanne was screened in the U.S. Dramatic Competition Section of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Roxanne Roxanne received overall positive reviews for the biopic however, according to Nick Allen from Roger Ebert something was incomplete about the film. Personally, the film doesn’t feel incomplete and the 2-star rating that Nick Allen gave to the film seems unreasonable. From the acting, the editing and the music the film takes the audience on a journey that is heartbreaking and astonishing.

            Chanté Adams plays Roxanne Shanté, at the time she was only 22 years old however she plays Roxanne Shanté from the age of 14-16 years old in the film. An interesting fact is that Chanté Adams is actually named after Roxanne Shanté. Originally Adams is from Michigan, she began studying acting in high school and she received her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University’s Drama school. Shortly after she graduated, she moved to New York to pursue an acting career. Only one month after she moved to New York she auditioned for the lead role in the biopic, she was cast as Roxanne Shanté and production began filming 8 days later. She received the Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Performance at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. She does a wonderful job portraying an individual who was popular before her time, she perfectly captures the mannerisms and nuances of Roxanne Shanté. Mahershala Ali is the antagonist in Roxanne Roxanne and it is a reminder that he does just as well as the “bad guy” as he does playing the “good guy.” Both of these performances carries the film.

            The music in the film was produced by RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan and it shows. The music is perfectly chosen for each scene and it highlights the talent that Roxanne Shanté had at such a young age. The music included in the film shines light on how different hip hop was back then yet how battle rapping hasn’t changed. Parts of the film also showcase how Roxanne Shanté used beatboxing to support her rhymes. Roxanne Roxanne features different hip hop artists that she was creatively involved with during her career which is interesting to see when considering her influential background in hip hop. The music paid homage to Roxanne Shanté in a way that wouldn’t have been captured if RZA wasn’t involved in the process.

            Finally, the editing is something that stands out in Roxanne Roxanne. The transitions in particular were well executed and shocks the audience from one scene to the next. Editor Claudia Castello known for Creed, Black Panther, and Fruitvale Station, does a wonderful job capturing the emotion in the scene while also emphasizing it through transitions. There is one part in particular when Roxanne Shanté is rapping, and the scene transitioned in the middle of her rap. This was unexpected but also clever and highlights how long Roxanne Shanté had been working on her rhymes. Roxanne Roxanne is a heartbreaking film especially when considering Roxanne Shanté’s transition to womanhood and this dramatic growth would not have been the same if this film was edited by a man. This is to say that a woman’s perspective significantly helped in telling this story properly while allowing Roxanne Shanté’s experiences to speak for themselves.

Even though this film received mixed reviews from critics, it is certainly a hidden gem. Roxanne Roxanne highlights a lot of the issues that come with entering a male dominant world, especially when you’re a young girl. It also explores how much damage one man can do to a woman’s life whether you’re a grown woman or not. This film is important in more ways than one because of the content as well as showcasing the influential female rappers at the time. Roxanne Roxanne is a tragic story, but it is well executed, and I highly recommend it when you are looking for a film about a powerful young woman.

Morris From America

Streaming: Prime Video (With Subscription)
Warnings:
Explicit Language
Nudity
Drugs
Rating: R

Morris From America is a dramatic comedy that follows a young teen named Morris and his father while they are living in Germany. The film was written and directed by Chad Hartigan and stars Craig Robinson, Markees Christmas, Carla Juri, and Lina Keller. Morris From America was nominated for numerous awards and won the Special Jury Price and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival. These accolades are understandable because the concept of Morris From America is a unique story looking at Americans from the outside in. Morris From America also shows the perspective of being American in a foreign country and the struggles people deal with while learning how to adapt to a new culture. The acting of Craig Robinson and Markees Christmas are genuine and heartfelt, showing a father and son relationship that is both relatable and authentic. The music in Morris From America is an interesting mix of American hip hop and German electronic music. This is an enjoyable family related film that sheds light on American and German culture while also highlighting stereotypes that can be detrimental to Black Americans when they are abroad.

Morris From America has a unique storyline that is unpredictable and also cringe-worthy at times. Morris who is played by Markees Christmas is struggling to make friends and fit in with the right crowd in Germany, having only his father to talk to, he begins to hang out with the rebellious kids. His experiences as a young teen in Germany are interesting because of the portrayal of how German teens view and misunderstand Black Americans; yet they still have similar qualities as teenagers growing up and trying to understand the world. Morris From America is a distinctive film in more ways than one because of the outside look at Americans and the viewpoint of being American living in an unfamiliar country.

The acting is something to note in Morris From America because of the mix of young actors as well as Craig Robinson’s role as the widowed father Curtis. Craig Robinson is not a father himself, but he used his own experiences from childhood to portray the struggles of being a father, he also had to learn conversational German for this role. The young actor Markees Christmas also stood out, especially because this was the first feature film, he has acted in. He was nominated for an Outstanding Breakthrough Performance Award by the Black Reel Awards. Lina Keller played Katrin who is Morris’ crush, she is a character who is rebelling through her teenage years. Her portrayal of a young teen who hates the world is relatable and frustrating to watch as an adult. Overall, the acting in Morris From America brought the story to a new level of interesting and created convincing characters that the audience can relate to.

The music is a big part of the film because Morris and his father Curtis relate to each other through hip hop music. Both Morris and Curtis can rap, Morris hopes to be a professional rapper someday and Curtis is supportive of his son’s dreams. Keegan DeWitt edited the music for this film and incorporated some of his own music as well. Morris From America also incorporates German music into the film, Morris is introduced to German electronic dance music when he is with his rebellious friends, and he even learns how to dance to it. This clash of cultures is interesting and hints at the dynamic world education Morris is going to continue to experience living as a young American abroad.

Morris From America is enjoyable, witty, and heartfelt. This film shows the audience a different portrayal of Americans from a German perspective while highlighting the struggles that Americans may face while abroad. Even though this film isn’t the most shocking or eye-opening film, for what it is, it certainly has charm. From the talented acting, interesting storyline and wonderful music, this film takes the audience on an adventure through Germany and teenage rebellion. I highly recommend this heartwarming film when you are looking for an escape.