“We have a show to see!”

From The Photograph.

Following a story in Louisiana, reporter Mike (LaKeith Stanfield) meets with the old Isaac (Rob Morgan), who shows him some pictures during the interview, including several by Isaac’s long-lost friend Christina.  Interested in her work, Mike investigates the photographer more when he returns to New York and finds that the recently-deceased photographer had a daughter named Mae (Issa Rae).  When Mae receives a letter from her photographer mother shortly after her death with instructions to read her letter before giving a second letter to her father (Courtney B. Vance), Mae is left struggling to connect with the mother who never seemed to love her.  Mae and Mike meet to discuss Christina’s work, but both quickly feel pulled into something more when they are with each other.  As Mae struggles to read the entire letter, her mother tells her of 1984 in Louisiana when a young Christina (Chanté Adams) and Isaac (Y’lan Noel) fell in love before life, Christina’s disapproving mother (Marsha Stephanie Blake), and Christina’s commitment issues pulled them apart.  While Mae struggles with her mother’s past, Mike is also struggling as his brother (Lil Rel Howery) and sister-in-law (Teyonah Parris) tell him to not move too fast and his coworkers (including Chelsea Peretti and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) push him to finish the story before a possible new overseas job offer happens.  Both Mae and Mike feel an undeniable pull toward each other, but as circumstances pull them apart, they will have to decide if they want to be together or not.

This romantic drama is interesting to watch develop throughout the course of the film.  The varying timelines of Mae and her mother give depth to the relatable characters while also creating some mystery (even though many viewers will guess the twist before it is revealed).  Rae and Stanfield complement each other’s acting very well to create a romance that feel genuine and attractive.  The Photograph is the perfect movie for date night that will leave viewers satisfied.

| Rated: PG-13 | Running Time: 106 minutes |Genre: romance/drama|

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 3* of 10|Nudity: 1 of 10|Sexuality: 1 of 10|Gore: 0 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|