Went to see The Photograph today after reading a handful of great reviews even though they had me after I had seen the trailer. I love a great love story & Valentine’s Day (even after having no specific Valentine for the past 12 years). Issa Rae & LaKeith did an amazing acting job of really making the audience feel like they are both in love in real life.

The writer/director Stella Meghie of this film Stella did an amazing job of telling a story line without adding too much drama or conflict to detract from the “love line” of the story. A great job of flip flopping back and forth through two different time eras and telling two love stories of two different generations of women at once. There were a lot of moments in the movie that made the audience look at their own personal love life (looking at their relationship with their own mom), their ability to take a chance on love or wonder why they aren’t willing to take chances on love.

According to ABCnews.com the review included the following dialogue:

Lakeith (FX’s “Atlanta”) plays Michael as a coiled, watchful and smoldering hunk who seems to be acting from deep within his guts. He’s just as likely to flee as he is of cuddling. Rae’s Mae is luminous and charismatic, with wide eyes that convey so many emotions. When Rae (HBO’s “Insecure”) bursts into a laugh, she seems to tap into that joyful, infectious place that Julia Roberts does.

Their initial mating dance is as cute as any rom-com — who’s making the first move? — before they finally get together and have a meal. And how refreshing it is to hear a debate over who’s the better rapper — Drake or Kendrick Lamar — as the first date conversation?

But Meghie (“The Weekend”) is not interested in a mere rom-com and “ The Photograph ” has miles more heft and depth. She’s interested in exploring how behavior can be inherited, how ambition can topple personal lives, how we establish patterns in our love life and how bravery in romance can be just about saying what your heart feels.

Stanfield looked very handsome and though we saw two adults who were attracted to each other “hook up very soon” ; in today’s world of dating this may not have been too realistic and it seems people are more apt to hook up first and find out if it’s going to work out later. However, on the flip side it seems these two happen to actually fall in love with the idea of being in love and the super idea that there was really a strong possibility that this love may actually turn out to be something big. It was really good to see that “at the end of the day” they were willing to take that chance.

Yes, it did move a little slow at times but I feel those slow times were meant to let the audience ponder on the situation at hand and actually think about what was to happen next. The music was amazing and the sound track reminds me of the time we ran to  the record store to purchase the sound track right after we saw the movie. Congrats to Robert Glasper and his amazing score.

The details of Christina’s safely guarded life are illuminated by the film’s Louisiana setting and the undeniable yet strained love between her and Isaac (Y’lan Noel, “The First Purge”). Adams is luminous as the restless young artist with big city career dreams and a mother (Marsha Stephanie Blake, “When They See Us”) too cynical about her own life to encourage her daughter.

This movie sheds so many lessons; one teaching us that life is way to short to not follow your gut. Please go see the movie. I don’t want to have too many spoilers in this article. You just need to run out or go online and purchase your ticket asap. Shout out to Will Packer productions for another amazing film.