Love Jones

Darius Lovehall is a young black poet in Chicago who starts dating Nina Moseley, a beautiful and talented photographer. While trying to figure out if they've got a "love thing" or are just "kicking it," they hang out with their friend, talking about love and sex. Then Nina tests the strength of Darius' feelings and sets a chain of romantic complications into motion.

While the film received favorable critical reviews, the film was not a financial success but it remains a cult following because of its realistic characters and unorthodox take on the romance genre. It is also Theodore Witcher's only directorial work to date (2016). The producers of the film said that they wanted to make a modern film about African-American life that did not use violence and recreational drugs as elements in the story.

I am not big on romantic stories, and I am not big on many so-called "black movies". But I think the folks behind this one did everything right. The idea to avoid drugs and violence was smart, because why should every movie featuring African-Americans reinforce the stereotype of the ghetto or criminal behavior? This just sets a bad example.

However, "Love Jones" avoids that trap and makes it a deeper story about love, dating, and the difference between casual and serious relationships. On a personal note, I love the Chicago setting. As a midwesterner, very few movies are set in my area. Chicago is about as close as they ever come... so it is nice to see somewhere outside of LA and New York.

Love Jones cleverly portrays young African-American men and women in a clear, positive, realistic sense. I feel that all of the actors and actresses were magnificent and really did a great job at capturing the mood. Nia Long and Larenz Tate worked well together and I hope to see more work from the two of them. As a matter of fact all of the actors/actresses did such a fine job it would be great to see another romantic-comedy from them. This movie can be compared to most any well-written, romantic comedy. If you have not seen this movie already I strongly recommend that you do, it can definitely give you another perspective on life and love.

After viewing this movie, lets say, around 8 times, the story line has never bored me. Each character has their own distinct personality and their own views of "love". This movie has timeless, almost realistic, love lessons. Filled with philosophies on love, a jazzy soundtrack, and great actors is why I would call it a classic.

Love Jones explores the passionate and intelligent sides of love, and it does so deliciously. Larenz Tate and Nia Long deliver performances as understated as the film's smart jazz and R&B soundtrack -- their approaches give their characters dimension and depth. But make no mistake -- this film offers elements of entertainment and political correctness in director Theodore Witcher's offering of multi-layered African-American characters. If comparisons must be made, Love Jones compares to the best in Woody Allen's Annie Hall and Manhattan, as those films explore desire and passion through words in addition to physical attractions. Recommend this film to the scores of filmgoers who missed its limited theatrical release -- better yet, serve it up as a first course conversation starter during your next gathering with friends. It's sure to spark equally passionate discussion, and that's always a good thing.

A friend said that this was her favorite movie so I finally got around to watching it.

I loved it. I love the story, I love that this was done in 1997 and the actors were about my age at that time. I love the music and dialog. I thought the actors and production were great.

....but damn is it frustrating to watch 2 young people that are good for each other make mistakes! Then again, that's what young people do.

The most recent review gave it a 3 because Darius was was "a stalker". I wrote my friend last night and said similar! 20+ years ago it wouldn't have been as big of a deal to figure out someone's address and just show up at their house. Now it seems a bit creepy. Times have changed and I have changed. I thought about that last night.

So, it's a little dated in a few ways, and some may not enjoy this film because of that. However, if you were in your 20s (or teens or 30s) in the 1990s, and you want a love story, then you'll love this.