
In the movie directed by Jussie Smollett, who is also an actor and co-writer in the film, he plays the lead character Jason Holliday and he is married. A married to another man called Damien who is portrayed by Jabari Redd (The Chi and B-Boy Blues). The movie plot more focuses on the character of Jason who is a construction company owner and manager living in Los Angeles. Since he is the head of the house he makes it clear to Damien just as he does during their therapy sessions. True to their claims, the couple has indeed been attending marriage therapy sessions because there are angularities in their marriage It wouldn’t be so bad if the couple did not also happen to be in the middle of the adoption process of the eight year old daughter played by Londyn Carter, who plays Arielle in Snowfall. Would be more than enough, but this film is not in fact about this Black homosexual married couple with a child which let’s be honest isn’t a topic of a movie quite frequently.
Cassandra, who is played by Vivica A. Fox, the mother of Damien, lives in Detroit. She dabbles in a variety of things like vaping, and peach Moscato, and quite especially she is obsessed with baked delicacies, mostly cakes and biscuits. Though she has a well fitted sense of fashion, her politics seem a bit behind the times she had no idea her son got married. When that happens, it’s safe to say she is not the most understanding of parents. She claims she isn’t homophobic but it’s hard to believe that around her it’s easy to believe that. Although she does have feelings for Arielle, her relationship with the baby she doesn’t know is more problematic.Â
According to Jason, being around Cassandra means being in the company of someone who hates faggots, and that is not the vibe he would want his daughter to be around. But it doesn’t sit right with him either. This causes them to argue and have small petty disputes. This cyclical nature of their relationship is what this film portrays. Smollett and Fox had been colleagues on the set of Empire and that shows in their on screen chemistry. Smollett does not make it dull as he throws back some witty lines.
Nonetheless, the plot delves into a romance that sparks between Cassandra and Memphis Cade who portrays a BBQ owner by the name of ‘Garland Kirby’. It’s not quite a twist but it is the case since the film does take quite a while to point that out. As to that, there seems to be an explanation of sorts because Garland was nearing a father figure for Damien. In one scene, Garland states things blatantly, but I think it would have been interesting to hear Smollett try to illustrate this connection or at least more of her relationship with Damien. The details of Garland and Damien’s affair come across as scant.
A while back, a couple of movies were released with the theme of a male gay couple in which one partner has issues with the other’s mother. The Japanese Egoist (2024) and the British Lilting (2014) dealt with this theme as well. Much more emotionally harmading was those films. This one had a touching ending as well but in terms of impact, it pales in this regard against the abovementioned films. The film isn’t as good as Smollett’s first and most dramatic feature B-Boy Blues (2022). This one does not possess the artistic flare B-Boy Blues did. While that isn’t strictly necessary it does make the drama, emotional or otherwise, feel impotent. A lot of it stems from the lack of the character Damien being present here.
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