February is the month of romance dramas and romantic comedies, as studios release their movies celebrating love to tap into the theme of Valentine's Day. This year is no different, with the major theatrical romance film being Universal Pictures' The Photograph. Written and directed by Stella Meghie (Everything, Everything), the movie tells a love story about people weighted down by their pasts and their futures and whether they'll be able to work up the courage it takes to be vulnerable enough to actually find love and hold onto it. The Photograph is a lush, beautiful romantic drama, with the love story carried well by its two excellent leads, Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield.
Meghie's The Photograph intertwines two love stories, one we know early on is doomed to fail and another whose future is yet to be determined. There's Mae Morton (Rae) a young museum curator who meets journalist Michael Block (Stanfield) when he's profiling a man who had a relationship with Mae's mom. In flashback, The Photograph also follows Mae's mom Christina's (Chante Adams) relationship with Isaac Jefferson (Y'lan Noel) and how she left him behind in Louisiana, moving to New York City to start a photography career. In present day, Michael profiles an older Isaac (Rob Morgan), who's plagued by regrets about how his relationship with Christina ended, forcing Michael to confront how he approaches his own romantic relationships. Meanwhile, Mae is mourning her recently passed mother, especially as their own relationship was difficult due to Christina's way of loving those closest to her. Though Mae and Michael find each other, it remains to be seen if they'll have the strength to pursue a meaningful relationship.
Themes of love and tragedy are prevalent in Meghie's script, which is strengthened by following both Mae and Michael's blossoming relationship and Christina and Isaac's doomed one. The tragedy of Christina and Isaac only serves to highlight the true stakes of Michael and Mae's romance, with the potential to haunt them for the rest of their lives if they don't take it seriously and if they don't open themselves up to the possibilities of their relationship. It makes for an incredibly engaging love story in The Photograph, which is further bolstered by Meghie's direction. The filmmaker takes the story from the austere streets of New York City to the verdant countryside of Louisiana. In the end, Meghie's whole vision comes together to create an equally charming and tragic multi-generational story of love and what must be sacrificed and overcome in order to find some kind of happily ever after.
As for Rae and Stanfield, they're a wonderfully appealing romantic pair, each charismatic in their own right so that when they work together in a scene, it's difficult to pull your eyes away from them. But, as in Mae and Michael's relationship, Rae and Stanfield are best when they're being vulnerable, as the characters open themselves up to each other because the movie never lets audiences forget what's at stake - tragedy versus happiness. The other supporting leads, Adams and Noel as young Christina and Isaac, are similarly captivating, with their story perhaps all the more compelling because we know how it ends and yet audiences will root for them to somehow rewrite history. The Photograph is an embarrassment of riches in terms of its acting talent, and every couple is compelling in their own way, from the tentative vulnerability of Rae and Stanfield to the warm affection of Adams and Noel - not to mention the other present day supporting actors who fill out the world of The Photograph with even more loving and entertaining couples.
Ultimately, Meghie and the movie's cast unite to create a stunning love story in The Photograph. There are moments when the unabashed earnestness of the movie may veer into blatant cheesiness for some viewers, but Meghie, Rae and Stanfield manage to keep much of the movie grounded in reality so that the romance of The Photograph never feels too unbelievable. Meghie goes all in on the lush, escapist nature of romance movies, even as The Photograph tackles the very real downside of love and romance. So if viewers are able to let themselves get sucked into the emotion of The Photograph, it makes for a wholly entertaining and compelling romantic drama.
As such, The Photograph is a perfect Valentine's Day movie for fans of romance. Its story is made all the more compelling by the tinge of tragedy serves to contrast the beauty of love when it's found and the strength it takes to hold onto. That's a message that will appeal not only to couples, but to groups of friends who are looking for something to watch together. And those lured into The Photograph by Rae and Stanfield won't be disappointed in the least, as both performers have turned their charm up to an 11; it'll be easy for audiences to fall in love with both of them. Altogether, moviegoers looking for something romantic and entertaining to catch on Valentine's Day weekend (or even later on in February) won't go wrong with The Photograph.
The Photograph is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 106 minutes long and rated PG-13 for sexuality and brief strong language.
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Key Release Dates
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The Photograph
Release Date:2020-02-14
