Prejudice? Or something else? (2)
Today, I've chosen to write an ode to someone I recently discovered, and who has impressed me with her acting prowess.
Issa Rae.
I have by no means watched all of her movies or tv shows (I've watched only two), but I've been really impressed by what I've seen so far.
1. The Photograph
Besides the photographs Issa Rae's Mae exhibits in her gallery, this movie displays something even more beautiful and priceless:
An impressive cast of amazing black actors.
The opening scene might mislead you into believing you're about to be subjected to a depressing tale, but this is really a story of love and hope and of courage and ambition.
Mae is a curator, but there's nothing about her that is even remotely similar to an ancient relic.
Her mother, Christina Eames, a well- known photographer, dies and leaves Mae two letters: One for Mae herself and one to be given to Mae's father.
The dashing Lakeith Stanfield is Michael, a reporter. In the opening scene, we see Michael interviewing a Hurricane Katrina survivor, Isaac.
Intrigued by a photograph of Christina Eames he sees in Isaac's home, Michael decides to keep going back to Isaac's home to do a series about Christina.
And, of course, there's a meet-cute.
Afterward, the enamored Michael orchestrates an 'unplanned meeting' at a French movie screening at Mae's gallery.
When Michael is offered a job in London he applied for, he starts ignoring Mae's calls because he feels this spells doom for their burgeoning relationship.
Stupid, I know, but isn't that a general problem humans have?
Don't we consistently make decisions that affect other people in our lives without ever thinking to consult them?
In a series of events that can only be attributed to fate, Mae's letters lead her to Isaac's home on the day that Michael is wrapping up his interview series on Christina.
If there ever was a moment when I saw the relevance of a cliché, it was during that scene.
The only thing running through mind was: You can run, but you definitely can't hide.
Unfortunately for Michael, when he tells Mae about his new job and expresses his desire to continue the relationship, Mae responds, disappointingly, that long-distance is impractical.
They go their separate ways.
To the romantics who have already started sobbing, you have nothing to be worried about.
This is not a story about lost love, I assure you.
Once again, Christina leads them back to each other.
While preparing a retrospective of her mother's work, Mae finds a video in which Christina makes the most memorable statement from the movie:
'I wish I had been better at loving people.'
Don't you sometimes feel the same way?
Don't you wish life handed you a guidebook on love and relationships as soon as you're able to talk?
Or, better still, don't you wish everyone had an innate repertoire of knowledge of love and relationships?
Wouldn't it be great if this knowledge bank could automatically sense what you need at every stage in your life to maintain a healthy relationship dynamic with the people you meet?
Wouldn't it be even more awesome if this growing repertoire could be person-specific?
Imagine communicating with everyone in the most optimal way for their individual personalities.
Don't you agree that this is a spectacular idea?
So, even from her grave, like almost every mother I've met, Christina, makes everything right again.
This time, Mae orchestrates the meeting.
She invites Michael to a Kendrick Lamar concert, and they confess their feelings for each other and vow to make a long-distance relationship work.
I wish I could include a GIF here to show how ecstatic I was during the final scene!
I originally intended to talk about The Lovebirds, which Issa Rae starred in alongside Kumail Nanjiani, but in the spirit of keeping things short and sweet, we'll save that for another post.
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