Themes: Twentysomething Life, Looking For Love, Writer's Life
Main Cast: Larenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson, Bernadette L. Clarke, Khalil Kain
Release Year: 1997
Country: US
Run Time: 108 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
What do you do after love at first sight? That's the question posed in this romantic comedy-drama set in Chicago. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) is a novelist who is giving a reading at the Sanctuary, an upscale club presenting jazz and poetry to a bohemian clientele. Shortly before his set, he meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a woman who is a gifted photographer, despite the fact that she just lost her job. They exchange small talk, and Darius makes his interest clear when -- on the spot -- he retitles a love poem "A Blues For Nina." A mutual attraction is sparked between them; soon Darius finds Nina's address on a check and shows up unannounced at her apartment, a visit resulting in a photo session that turns seriously sexy. So far, so good, but neither Darius or Nina are sure where to go next after this promising start. She's just gotten out of a relationship and isn't sure if she still cares for her old boyfriend or not, while Darius' buddies read him the riot act for wanting to give up his freedom so early on in the game. Love Jones was the debut feature for African-American writer and director Theodore Witcher; Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy, and Lisa Nicole Carson lead the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Love Jones is a funky, moody contemplation of love and sex among hip, upscale African-Americans in Chicago. But it isn't quite as profound as the jazzy soundtrack would have us believe. There's just the right song to accompany every interlude, from a smoky nightclub poetry slam, to a rainy afternoon in a movie-sized loft, to the note-perfect banter that punctuates a relaxed gathering in a plush apartment. But what's lagging is the emotion -- it's never quite convincing that Larenz Tate's Darius and Nia Long's Nina are jonesing for much more than sex. Darius first pursues Nina like some sort of stalker; his follow-up to a sexy poem he delivers moments after meeting her, which is very ambiguously received, is to steal her address from a personal check and swing by her apartment. The fumbles they make trying to build up trust and maintain the relationship contain few new insights, though it is interesting to see how many of their actions are dictated by foolish pride. What distinguishes the movie is the dialogue, refreshing in both its naturalism and intelligence -- it's too rare that audiences get to see urbane, three-dimensional African-American characters chatting about their philosophies on life and love. Writer/director Theodore Witcher should be commended for this attention to detail and the way he fleshes out the characters. The scenarios they face, and the resolutions to those scenarios, are only so-so. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
What do you do after love at first sight? That's the question posed in this romantic comedy-drama set in Chicago. Darius Lovehall (Larenz Tate) is an aspiring writer who is giving a reading of some of his poetry at the Sanctuary, an upscale night club presenting jazz and poetry to a creative and bohemian clientele. Shortly before his set, he meets Nina Mosley (Nia Long), a gifted and aspiring photographer who has recently lost her job and separated from her fiancé. They exchange small talk, and Darius makes his interest clear when he retitles a poem A Blues For Nina. A mutual attraction is sparked between them, and Darius invites himself back to her place to persistently ask her out. The relationship turns seriously sexy when they have sex on the first date, but neither Darius or Nina are sure where to go next after this promising start. Nina isn't sure if she still cares for her former fiancé or not, so when he asks her to take a train to where he lives in New York in order rekindle their relationship, she takes the chance. Mmeanwhile Darius' buddies read him the riot act for wanting to give up his freedom so early on in the game, leading to conflict when Nina decides she does indeed want Darius. Love Jones was the debut film for writer and director Theodore Witcher, and it is already considered a classic work in African-American cinema. Isaiah Washington, Bill Bellamy, and Lisa Nicole Carson lead the supporting cast.
Two of the poems recited by Nia Long's character Nina were written by Sonia Sanchez and are included in her book "Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums: Love Poems."
Internationally renowned former bodybuilder Flex Wheeler counts Love Jones as one of his favorite films. He named his son Darius after Larenz Tate's character, and his daughter Nia after actress Nia Long (Muscle & Fitness magazine, September 2000).
Singer Ashanti has had the two stars Nia Long and Larenz Tate in two of her music videos because of that.
