Black Love is front and Center in Really Love

by Kathia Woods

Black is beautiful, and black love is desperately needed, especially on the big screen. So, it was a joy to discover Angel Kristi Williams' film Really Love. Is anything revolutionary happening on the screen? No, but the story, while traditional, the imagery and choices are significant and very specific.

 The film is set in Washington, D.C Really Love follows Isiah (Kofi Siriboe), a struggling painter who falls in love with Stevie (Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing). They meet at a gallery. Stevie, named after Stevie Wonder, is a bright law student from an upper-middle-class family.  The two prospective lovers reconnect at a party and notice that the connection they experience at the art gallery is still there. He asks her out on a date and gifts her a painting. Love ensues.

Things don't always go as planned. Stevie persistently invites Isiah to live with her. She puts him to the test and tries to get him to conform to her ways. Their disparities in economic status are becoming clear.

Isiah's family isn't exactly a rock of strength. His desire to become a professional painter is regarded as immature by them. Stevie's parents are also unimpressed, believing that he will derail their daughter's destiny. Her mother, in particular, expects great things from her.

Really Love explains how love isn't always enough and how communication and understanding are essential in a relationship. Shawn Peter, the cinematographer, captures the coloring of both actors beautifully. The paintings, which were an important part of Isiah's journey, were beautifully lit and depicted. The soundtrack was equally enthralling. The music is a deft mix of R&B, hip-hop, and jazz. It contributed to the film's atmosphere.

Sirboe and Wong-Loi-Sing, the two leads, were believable and had genuine chemistry. Kofi Siriboe exhibits a wide range of emotions, from hopeful to heartbroken, his voice shaking as he passionately describes his art. Yootha Wong-Loi-Sing exudes charm as well as fierce intelligence. Both are clearly and tenderly in love, which is essential to the success of this film. Uzo Aduba makes a brief cameo as a powerful gallery owner and Isiah supporter who declares about one of his paintings, "you can do better." Stevie’s parents are strongly portrayed by Blair Underwood and the late great Suzanne Douglas.

We, the audience, are genuinely rooting for this couple because they have completely captivated us.

Really Love is a film that celebrates love without pretense, which is what makes it so entertaining to watch. After all, we could all use some Really Love right now.