The Photograph (2020)

*Click, Click, Click* is all it takes to make an endless memory. Isaac Jefferson (Y’lon Noel/ Rob Morgan) grabbed the camera and took a simple picture of Christina (Chante Adams) the one person he loved till her death. Once Christina passed she left a note to her daughter Mae (Issa Rae). The movie shows us clips of Christinas life in Louisiana before she moved to New York to follow her dream. We get the story we didn’t know we wanted. We get to see the love Christina and Isaac shared before Christina moved to New York. Their love was so genuine and full of potential but Christina wanted more out of like (many of us can relate); so she did the most difficult decision by choosing her dream over love. At the same time we are introduced to Mae and Michael’s (LaKeith Stanfield) connection. One simple conversation and we can see that there is something between them. Maybe not a physical attraction at first but a beautiful connection brought by one persons life, Christina. These two lovers find each other when they where not looking and learn about Christina’s past while learning about each other. THE PHOTOGRAPH shares so much with us because of one simple photo on a shelf.

As I sat in the theater (alone) I could not help and admire the elderly couple sitting next to me holding hands. I laughed when they tried to figure out what “you’re thirsty” meant. I should have said something, but I could not help but laugh. That is what this movie was able to accomplish, make me laugh, hope for love, and even plan a trip to Louisiana. Even after the movie ended everyone stayed in their seats watching the photographs with the credits. It gave me a feeling that we where all appreciating these photos a little more than if we would have seen it in a magazine because we knew the background to them.

Okay, okay, okay you are reading this trying to figure out if you should watch this movie in the theater or wait for it to hit the RedBox, I will say watch it in the theater and when it goes to the RedBox watch it again at home as an in home date night movie. This is the type of movie you can go with your friends before going out to eat and then hitting the club. Why? Well it will give you hope that the one might just be a table or a song away. Okay I am reaching, but I left thinking if I hit the Wendy’s across the street my future man would be ordering the same thing I had the taste for at the time. But that is what this movie did, it gave me hope in some romantic love, that I will find the one while I was living life.

*Click, Click, Click* is all it took, for me to believe in romantic hopeless love. I will not ruin the movie by telling you what happens at the end but I will say I am listening to Kendrick Lamar as I am writing this article. You will get it once you watch this amazing five star movie. There was one thing that was said in the beginning of the movie and I will paraphrase it so don’t judge me.

I don’t recommend getting older, less people to talk to and more time to go with every regret. This one sentence really got me thinking as I walked out the theater, it’s okay to age but not to get older; maybe that is what he meant. However people take it, I hope people give this movie a chance. This movie will be one of my top ten for 2020. Take a photo, enjoy the rain and take a chance… *Click, Click, Click.*