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.