Still Got a 'Love Jones'

There hasn’t been a great film about black romance since Love Jones.

Thirteen Years Later and Still Got the Jones

by Abdul Ali

Forget that it was released thirteen years ago. Forget the striking cinematography, the star cast, and the bomb-ass soundtrack. Forget that this was an artsy film that was accessible. Forget memorable scenes like when Darius tells Nina, “I just want to come up and talk.” Even if you forget all that, you still have to admit that no film in recent memory has come close to showcasing the struggles of black love – a film that’s unsentimental and breathtaking all the same.

So much is right with this movie. The chemistry of Nia Long and Lorentz Tate is remarkable. So much that we watch this film and begrudge the fact that this film represented the zenith of her career (and Lorentz Tate’s for that matter). We even forgive the fact that Lorentz Tate needs a haircut in this film. The characters hang out in smoky airy spots where men and women dress up and wear nice clothes. Not one gun in the entire film.

And when was the last time you saw a black film where the main characters quote George Bernard Shaw, invoke Gordon Parks, and play Charlie Parker? And whether you liked the poetry or not, you have to admit, it was sexy: ”Who am I? It doesn’t matter. I’m the blues in your left thigh, trying to be the funk in your right.”

Read the Full Essay @ The Root