It’s been a long minute but I’m back! I saw The Photograph yesterday and I have some thoughts. Let’s jump in!
Dragging for days. The pace is slow…a little too slow for me. It felt like the movie was stretched to fit the runtime. The slowness nearly put me to sleep! It didn’t help that the theater had reclining seats!
A million little things. The romances in The Photograph didn’t feature grand, dramatic gestures of love. There were no massive fights and no over-the-top meet-cutes. The chemistry wasn’t explosive either. Instead, it was all about the small moments. The conversations, the looks, the touches. Even the sex was a small moment in the grand scheme of things. It’s really the little things in life that add up to make relationships what they are. I loved the first date scene! It was awkward and yet easy-going and sweet. The “debate” on the merits of Kendrick Lamar vs Drake was the perfect lighthearted touch. Despite the pacing issues, I think The Photograph does a great job depicting romantic relationships that feel real. The conflict between Christina and Isaac over her wanting to pursue her photography in New York is something couples face all the time. Mae shutting down the possibility of a long-distance relationship with Michael because she believes it won’t work is something many people can relate to. The lack of high Hollywood relationship drama can be a huge plus sometimes.
Something’s missing. When it’s all said and done, I felt like something was missing from this movie. The characters actually seemed a bit flat to me. While I appreciate that they were down to Earth, I found myself wanting to know a little bit more about them. I think Mae especially could have used more backstory. I also wanted a little more depth and complexity in the relationships. I realize that Mae and Michael were only at the start but I think there definitely could have been more to Christina and Isaac. Like, how did they meet? What exactly is it that they see in each other? Mae telling Michael that she is never really sure how vulnerable she should be on a first date is sort of meta because it seemed like the movie didn’t know how vulnerable it should be with the audience either. In essence, it seems the movie held back a little.
Not quite a classic. I got the sense that the black community was expecting an instant classic black love story along the lines of Love and Basketball and Brown Sugar. It’s been a while since we’ve had one of those and I think people were hoping that the drought was over. I heard from a few people that The Photograph didn’t quite hit the mark on that front. I really wanted The Photograph to be a classic because honestly, the plot was more interesting than those other movies. I think part of the issue lies in the fact that The Photograph had a split focus and only portrayed the beginnings of Michael and Mae’s relationship. Love and Basketball spanned about 15 years and showed highs and lows in dramatic fashion. Maybe the lack of “fireworks” contributed to the unmet expectations although I don’t think that’s the problem. Love stories can be done in a subtle and sweet manner and not be flat.
Random things. It was pretty easy to figure out that Isaac was Mae’s father. Michael’s brother Kyle was great comic relief! Kyle’s daughters were too with their tea spilling! I notice the most random parallels sometimes. Mae had a glass of white wine on her first date with Michael. Christina also had a glass of white wine while she was out with Isaac in New Orleans. Both Michael and Isaac had whiskey on their respective outings.
Overall thoughts. I really wanted to love this movie! I loved the idea, the visuals, and that feel-good kind of love. I’m actually a little sad to say that I don’t love it. It’s maybe a 6.5-7 out of 10 for me. Even without the expectations, The Photograph is a bit lackluster. The romances were beautiful but the characters and story needed some more development. Actually, The Photograph would have made a great miniseries. There would have been more time to develop the backstories and give the relationships some depth.
And that’s my take! Until next time!