It's been a while since I've watched a movie like Stella Meghie’s THE PHOTOGRAPH. It’s weird to think of a low-key New York City relationship drama as a throwback to a different era, but this is just another sign of the strange times we live in. This is the kind of movie where two young and successful professionals fall in love, hit some relationship obstacles, seek advice from their sassy best friend or comedic relative, and are forced to grow up a little bit before it’s all over. The movie ostensibly takes place today (or at least a few months ago), and yet it all feels very quaint.

That description may sound boring, but THE PHOTOGRAPH does boast an impressive cast, including Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield and Rob Morgan, who manage to elevate the material and make everything pleasantly watchable. The film is also slightly more interesting thanks to a parallel story that takes place in Mississippi, in the early 1980s. It involves Rae’s mother (Chanté Adams) having to decide between a relationship with a crab fisherman (Y'lan Noel) her mother doesn’t approve of, and her burgeoning career as a photographer, a profession that is also frowned upon by her mom. Once again, we can thank the actors for making this stale storyline mildly engaging.

If you’re looking for something along the lines of Issa Rae’s adventurous HBO show INSECURE, or Stanfield’s recent mindbender SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, you’ll likely be disappointed. At one point I was wondering if the film was being subtly subversive in it’s complete lack of overt politics (Issa Rae’s character saying Kendrick Lamar makes her feel guilty is as close as it gets). But I’m pretty sure THE PHOTOGRAPH just wants to be a feel-good date movie, and on that front it gets the job done.

Sean Erickson