Luv

this is one of the better coming of age indies I have seen lately. it made me laugh and cry and afraid.

Common is a powerhouse in the film, he's so commanding - not easy to do when acting opposite Dennis Haysbert (Mr. President/Snake Doctor himself).

and the boy, oh this little boy, Mr. Michael Rainey Jr. I doubt we will see the last of this amazing young thespian.

i highly recommend this film for a bitter taste of growing up in B-more. and of course we get to see cameo appearances by the great Charles S. Dutton - a strong advocate for Baltimore filming - as well as Danny Glover.

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I expected this film to be entirely different based off of the title cover and the description. It was really good. Common plays a father figure to Mikael Phiper(?). This movie does a good job at tackling complex issues in a tough economy. Especially if one only knows a jail lifestyle. The scenery was very interesting to look at, if you're not familiar with Baltimore. Fish and Danny Glover play old foes to Common's character. He wears an executive suit while driving a brand new Mercedes Benz. But they live in a slum house.. I kind of get the visual symbolism through it.Although it was a bit cheesy. The lengths he goes through to bond with his nephew while while battling Baltimore's banks and gangs are pretty interesting. It's worth a look.

Not that it would be useful information generally, but this kept me interested from beginning to end. I doubt that a big financial return was a factor in signing up the cast, it was probably a joy to have the chance to be in something like this. It made me think about how the kind of life on view perpetuates. I can see something like this going into the mix that shapes how I act and react. If there's a gun control group that screens or recommends films, this one would be on their list; a gun rights group, probably not. There are special features available here which highlight the respect the main players have for one another. Common and Michael Rainey Jr. are singled out in small separate pieces. I did not take the film as pure realism, still all hands brought the story vividly to life. Many including myself will be looking forward to future work from director Sheldon Candis, Michael and Common.

For a crime drama Luv isn't a bad movie, it's not a masterpiece but it's worth watching once. The relationship between the young Woody (played by Michael Rainey Jr.) and his ex-con uncle Vincent (played by Common) is interesting to watch, as the uncle shows the kid how you supposed to act as a man in the real world. The real world in his eyes, because his world is just gangster hustling even though he tries to get out of it. I thought the young Michael Rainey Jr. did a good job with his performance. For such a young kid he clearly has a good future in the acting business. The story itself is easy to watch. I would have used another soundtrack though to make it more appealing. To me that was the weak point of the movie. All in all it's worth a watch but don't expect to be blown away.

The star power in this film immediately captured my attention. Scene upon scene brought a new recognizable well established actor on screen, which is so atypical when viewing Indie films. The film LUV is a fictionalized account of actual events that occurred in the writer director Sheldon Candis' life as he spent time with his uncle. I was fortunate in that the viewing of this film was a film festival DIFF 2012 at which Mr. Candis was in attendance and could provide some insight into how the story evolved, and his adventures in casting. I was very impressed with the screen presence of Woody (Michael Rainey Jr.), who coincidentally was similar enough in appearance that he could have been a child Sheldon. Ninety-five percent of the story takes place in the span of one 'training day', where Woody accompanies his Uncle Vincent (Common) as he conducts a day of business. The first thing that struck me as odd was the upscale automobile that Vincent was driving, and I immediately took some leaps and bounds to conclusions, oh and I jumped too. My assumptions turned out to be correct as the day progresses it evident that the lessons that are imparted onto young Woody will inevitably lead to a loss of innocence. The story was relatable because although the setting is Baltimore which I have never visited, the harsh reality of a relative passing down their knowledge is not always a legitimate vocation or trade. I was not surprised at how quickly Woody caught on to what was happening with Vincent's encounters, in some cases his realization was slightly out of sync with mine. My hoping that no harm would come to young Woody kept the level of intensity in this film high, because I knew how easily situation after situation could have gone wrong. I was completely emotionally invested in this film from the moment that Woody and Vincent began their day together. As more and more of Vincent's past became apparent so did the fact that Woody should be nowhere in the vicinity of this guy. There could have been a bit more character development for the roles played by Charles Dutton (Cofield), Danny Glover(Arthur), and Dennis Haysbert(Fish) and the ladies in the film Lonette McGee (Grandma Beanie)and Meagan Goode were little more than just fleeting images, but this was a good film none the less. I am in love with LUV and give it a green light.