February 2020
Chop it Like it’s Hot
Starting on the Wrong Foot
Sorry, Not Sorry
An Institutional Examination
NU alum Christina Chaey is slicing and dicing her way into Bon Appétit’s “Test Kitchen” videos p.5
Alums Charlie Hall and Jack Price debut comedy web series “Sorry, Charlie” p.8
The Garage lacks resources after founders graduate, allowing many to fail p.10
“The Assistant” director Kitty Green talks the long shadow of Harvey Weinstein p.12
January 21 – April 5, 2020
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CONTENTS Staff of The Monthly
Chop it Like it’s Hot
5
Sorry, Not Sorry
8
Starting on the Wrong Foot
10
An Institutional Examination
12
Open Tab
14
Reel Thoughts
15
Issue 26
Crystal Wall Charlotte Walsh Monthly Editors Catherine Buchaniec Jacob Fulton Roxanne Panas Emma Ruck Carly Schulman Designers Austin Benavides Wilson Chapman Yunkyo Kim Marissa Martinez Writers
Cover photo: Courtesy of Laura Murray
Editors: Dear readers, Crystal: The 2020 Oscars made history, and not because of Timothée Chalamet’s Prada tracksuit. Charlotte: I’m upset. It’s the Oscars. He looked good, but man, dress up a little! Crystal: On Feb. 9, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” won best picture, becoming the first non-English-language film to win the category. Plus, he won like a billion others, including Best Picture, so like, nbd. And he made the Oscars kiss. An icon. Charlotte: In our last editor’s letter, we talked about the Oscar noms — how white and male they are, how Greta Gerwig was robbed, etc. etc. But it seems like the Academy tried to make up for it this time, awarding “Parasite” (deservedly) with all the awards. Crystal: There is often a confusing space between art and politics, but what we are seeing is some of the best art interprets our climate in fresh ways. Great art gives us something to think about, the same way that good food or an innovative idea can. Charlotte: Wow, Crystal! Seems like you perfectly transitioned us into talking about this month’s issue, nice! Crystal: The subject of our cover story, Bon Appétit associate editor Christina Chaey (Medill ‘11) has found a way to fuse culture, cooking and curiosity into a delicious combination, earning herself a spot in the elite magazine and in the viral “Test Kitchen.” Please, teach me how to sustain myself, because I’m almost out of chicken nuggets and I don’t know what to do. Charlotte: Communication alums Charlie Hall and Jack Price took initiative and made opportunities for themselves, creating a web series called “Sorry, Charlie,” which follows a fictional Hall on his journey to prove his ex-girlfriend wrong. And in our third feature, we focus on The Garage, a place to incubate good ideas at Northwestern. But even spaces like these have can be edited — only 10 percent of Garage startups continue after graduation, The Daily found. Crystal: There is so much room to make art right now. I mean, even Twitter has found inspiration from the technology whirlwind known as the Iowa Caucus. Charlotte: But not your mother’s art — get your fresh, hot takes out there and make it metaphorical. Whether you’re inspired by a sexy pasta dish or class divides in South Korea, now is your time. Get out there, sweet, sweet Monthly readers! xoxo The CW
Charlotte Walsh Crystal Wall 4
5
C
hristina Chaey (Medill ’11) said she was probably looking for a snack when she made her first cameo in Bon Appétit’s massively popular YouTube channel “Test Kitchen.” The Bon Appétit associate editor said she often ventured up to the 35th floor of One World Trade Center from her desk nine stories below to consult a co-worker or look for food — often pasta. “If I get bored, or if I need to talk to someone in the test kitchen, or if I’m hungry, and I’m looking for a snack I will pretty frequently be found on 35,” she said. At the time, Bon Appétit’s video platform was taking off. The magazine currently boasts 5.28 million subscribers, with most new videos racking up over a million views. — the channel’s most popular video, “Every Way to Cook an Egg (59 Methods),” has over 22 million. As an associate editor at Bon Appétit, Chaey is in charge of putting together the food and entertainment magazine’s weeknight cooking and lifestyle sections. In addition to figuring out the publication lineup, she works with the visual department to figure out photos and graphics for the recipes she collaborates with test kitchen staff to perfect. The above responsibilities are just her official job description, Chaey said. But she described becoming a regular guest in Bon Appétit’s videos
as “unexpected.” Chaey now makes cameos alongside contributing food editor Claire Saffitz and senior food editor Chris Morocco, and debuted her own video recipe in July 2019, making Korean cold buckwheat noodles with kimchi and jammy eggs. In an episode of Bon Appétit’s “Making Perfect,” Chaey organized a Test Kitchen cork board with Post-it notes, debating what comprises a balanced, tasty holiday meal with the rest of the staff. They all together decided that squash and radicchio salad with pecans and Brussel sprouts with pistachios and lime were the sides to do the job, only to show viewers how to make the dishes themselves moments later.. The video harkens back to her cooking experiences in college. In her junior year living on Garnett Place, Chaey said she hosted an elaborate “Friendsgiving,” in which she roasted a 20-pound turkey and supervised the rest of the meal, even though she had no idea what she was doing. Fast forward ten years, Chaey is now in her fifth year working at Bon Appétit and her friend and co-worker Alex Beggs said Chaey still likes to throw ambitious dinner parties. “You can tell she really loves cooking because she’ll make these elaborate, stunning dinners for adults at very late hours of the night,” Beggs said. “Like when I’m asleep.” Still, Chaey told The Monthly her love of cooking and food journalism didn’t develop until she left college. As a busy Northwestern student, where
she served as a summer campus editor for The Daily, she was concerned with making food on-the-fly. Even though Chaey grew up as a second-generation Korean American and ate home-cooked Korean foods, she added that she loved pizza and pasta and was fascinated by Martha Stewart and cake decorating kits. When she left for college and started craving Korean food, she made a point to learn the recipes. While at Northwestern, she got an internship at the Chicago Magazine’s dining section. For the job, she’d stake out locations that were approved for restaurant permits to seek updates on development. Her other “unglamourous” job, Chaey said, was fact-checking the addresses in the magazine’s dining database, but she “loved it all the same.” Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, an adjunct lecturer at Medill who taught Chaey’s multimedia reporting class, said she recommended her for the internship to her colleagues at Chicago Magazine, where she worked at the time. “She will be the first to tell you that she couldn’t have predicted this career trajectory for herself,” Kang said. “But I’m not surprised. She follows her passions.” Kang, who is a first-generation Korean American, said food is very personal to many. She added that Chaey’s identity and passion for food make her a great candidate to introduce Korean food and culture to a mass audience. Plus, Kang enjoyed Chaey’s soy-braised short
rib recipe enough to note she’d make it again. After her journalism residency at Fast Company, Chaey got a job in New York, and worked for Bon Appétit in 2014 and 2016. During that time, Chaey said she found herself spending all of her free time
experimenting with food, and when she left the magazine for a year and a half, she worked as a line cook at Union Square Hospitality group. But she still felt eager to find a way to pursue both her passions of a writer and a cook. “At a certain point, I think I
realized that there could be a job for me,” Chaey said. “There could be a job for me out there that marries what I know how to do with what I want to know how to do more.” When she returned to Bon Appétit in 2017, Chaey said she knew she had found that niche. ◊
There could be a job for me out there that marries what I know how to do with what I want to know how to do more.
7
CHAPTER ONE
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Alums Charlie Hall and Jack Price debut comedy web series “Sorry, Charlie”
I
n the opening scene of “Sorry, Charlie,” Charlie (Charlie Hall, Communication ’19) is broken up with by his girlfriend, who reads off a list of everything that’s wrong with him as they sit in Evanston’s Union Pizzeria. Those four points on the list — that Charlie will never do better than her, he has no friends, he’s horrible at sex and has no confidence — not only structure each of the web series’ four episodes but are also loosely modeled on the show’s creators, Hall and Jack Price (Communication ’19). Except for the sex part. “That hasn’t happened to us, ever,” Price said. Hall chimed in: “Yeah — put that on the record!” “Sorry, Charlie” premiered Jan. 14 and has since racked up a combined almost 45,000 views over the course of its four episodes. Totaling about 31 minutes, the series focuses on Charlie as he tries to prove his ex wrong, getting into some awkward situations along the way. This is the first official project since graduation for Hall, the son of “Saturday Night Live” alum Brad Hall and former Northwestern student Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a famed actress who is also set to star in the upcoming Disney+ series “Love, Simon” and the Netflix film “Moxie.” Producer and co-creator Price and Hall grew up together in Los Angeles. They had always made “stupid little bits” on social media, but by junior year, they felt the pressure of limited time. The pair had the idea for a show based off the breakup scene from Episode 1, and Price decided to remain in Evanston for the summer while Hall had basketball practice to get a jump on what would become “Sorry, Charlie.” Through December 2019, Price and Hall shot and edited the series on-and-off. Price said the process was a massive learning experience — from finding locations to keeping the cast and crew motivated over many months. They also had to deal with unexpected challenges like Hall’s back surgery, which severely delayed a boat scene in Episode 2.
Price joked that Hall was also “a big screamer” and threw fits on set, which made it difficult to get things done. Hall added that production halted in part because he was upset about his salary, which was severely under the $1 million per episode “Friends” cast members received. The show is partially based on Price and Hall’s lives and personalities. Hall said scenes like a waiter confrontation in Episode 1, where he was too afraid to tell the waiter about a messed up order, were combinations and exaggerations of real experiences. They tried to conjoin bits and pieces from their own lives, combined with some extreme circumstances. Northwestern fans can find some hidden gems in “Sorry, Charlie” — besides featuring a handful of Evanston sites, more than half a dozen NU men’s basketball players (and Hall’s former teammates) made appearances in the series. In Episode 1, Vic Law (SESP ‘18) and Communication junior Anthony Gaines play themselves. Gavin Skelly (Communication ‘18) is an upset Uber driver. After Hall insults his dad, Barret Benson (Communication ‘19) defends his father as “an American war hero.” Hall said the basketball players all had great comedic instincts, knowing just when to pause and let Hall ramble. Plus, Benson and teammate Ryan Young had the added benefit of making Hall appear smaller, which he said made their almost-fight scene possible in the first place, considering his 6’5” stature. “Literally, they’re like 8’9”,” Hall said. “So we were actually pretty reliant on them to make that scene work.” Evanston residents can find familiar hot spots all over the series — from scenes in D&D Finer Foods to shots on Hamlin Street (which, Price said, caused a ton of traffic). And although they didn’t shoot there, the pair would frequently hit up the Subway on Ridge Avenue for cookies after long days producing the series.
“If you guys want a cookie that will legitimately blow your mind to the point of maybe having to drop out of Northwestern, you should probably go to that Subway,” Hall said. Thomas Molash (Communication ’18) didn’t intend to be one of two cinematographers on the project. His involvement actually started when Jack asked to borrow his 2001 Toyota Sequoia. Molash didn’t know what they were going to do with it — he said his car is somewhat famous among RTVF majors, appearing in several student films because of its older aesthetic. He worked on set for about two months in 2019, and said his favorite scenes to shoot were on the boat — acquired through a connection and a rare bottle of rum — and in a sex store near his apartment. “Sorry, Charlie” is one of the few comedy projects Molash has worked on, leading to new experiences for him on set, like trying not to laugh while filming. “They were super good at pulling out extremely ridiculous lines out of nowhere, so you never knew what to expect,” Molash said about the show’s improvisational nature. “It was definitely hard to keep composure for some of the things because you would expect one line (from the script) and what they actually said was that times 5,000 in terms of craziness.” Despite not knowing Price, Hall or their crew before lending them his car and eventually signing on to the project, Molash said it was fun to work with the “dynamic duo” because of their openness to new ideas. Price said it was great to watch the script change from the writing, shooting, production processes to what viewers can see online. “It was just really awesome to see something through all the way with people that I loved at school,” he said. “Shooting and doing it with Charlie was really amazing.” The only downside? Not finding enough money in the budget for a $1 million salary. ◊ Courtesy of Jack Price
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The Garage lacks resources after founders graduate, allowing many to fail
A
fter grueling weeks interning in the summer of 2016, Sarah Ahmad (McCormick ’18) longed to eat out with friends in Chicago. The group would usually research the best spots in the city, order a meal and find themselves disappointed. Though the restaurant might be top-rated, often its dishes were not. Ahmad wanted a way to rate individual menu items, and from there, HotPlate was born. HotPlate, an iPhone and Android app Ahmad created during her junior year to review specific dishes, was built with the help of The Garage, Northwestern’s resource center for student startups. Over the course of a year, Ahmad and her team participated in Garage programs to develop the idea and officially launched the app in October 2017 in collaboration with Big Bite Night, a tasting event in downtown Evanston. The app garnered the attention of over 600 users by the end of Ahmad’s senior year. Even so, the app folded shortly before Ahmad graduated in 2018. She cited the pressures of a splintering team and looming costs as reasons for the app’s demise. “The fact that I would be working on it mostly by myself … would make it a lot harder to get it to a point where we could raise money and keep going with it,” Ahmad said. Ahmad’s story is not unique — in fact, only 10 percent of students continue with their Garage startups after they graduate, said The Garage’s Marketing Manager Elisabeth Wright. This figure is consistent with national averages for startup failures, but many start off with far fewer resources than The Garage provides. Founded in 2015 and financed by a combination of philanthropic donations and funding from the University, The Garage provides a physical space to work on projects, entrepreneurial education and mentorship from industry leaders. It also gives grants for some startups via selective programs like VentureCat. Though students do not receive credit, over 350 startups have been incubated at The Garage and 95 percent of Garage users reported the program enhanced their overall experience at Northwestern, Wright said. However,
when these students graduate, their resources disappear, and The Garage has yet to institute a formal aftercare procedure to ensure startup success. Ahmad pointed out that after graduation, students can no longer work on projects for free. To make her app financially sustainable, she and her team would have had to constantly raise money and enter competitions to earn funding. Sam Letscher (McCormick ’18), the founder of Bossy Chicago, another Garage startup that runs a directory of female- and non-binary-owned businesses in Chicago, said she ran into the same problem after she graduated in 2018. She wanted to continue to make the directory available to everyone, but had to figure out a way to pay for it.
committee of investors, startups can win checks from $10,000 to $100,000. Still, this requires meeting several progress qualifications, and only four applicants have been awarded money in the five years it’s existed. Wright also said NUseeds will not be the largest investor in any project — meaning startups must come into the funding pitch having raised a significant amount of money, a task which may be impossible for projects just coming out of school. Neither Letcher nor Ahmad have received a NUseeds grant, though Ahmad said she is considering applying. Both Letscher and Ahmad added that aspects of The Garage culture are not conducive to long-term startup success. For example, many students join solely for a learning experience. Ahmad said even her cofounder saw HotPlate as more of a project than a company. But Wright said these factors are representative of the “choose your own adventure” nature of The Garage. Some students want to network and learn entrepreneurial skills, she said, while others want to build a successful, long-term startup that will continue to develop after graduation — both groups are granted access to the same resources. “We really focus on building the skills and the entrepreneurial tool kit and the mindset that will help a student whether they continue on their startup or they don’t,” Wright said. “A lot of what we focus on here is not necessarily preparing them for a successful startup post-graduation, but is built on the entrepreneurial experience.” Despite HotPlate’s fold, Ahmad thinks the app is a good idea and doesn’t regret creating it. She said she gained invaluable networking and entrepreneurial expertise from her time at The Garage. Most importantly, she learned what makes a company sustainable, insights she said she is now putting to use at another startup called Mistro that she founded with a fellow Garage alum, which helps remote companies provide employee benefits to internationally distributed teams. “If you really do want to do a startup full time, you have to think, ‘What exactly do you need? How do you create a plan to get there?” she said. “That’s what you have to think about, all the time.” ◊
We put a lot of pressure on that time point of graduation and our operations don’t have to be sustainable until then because everyone’s willing to work for free. But suddenly then it’s like, ‘Well now what happens?’ Letscher made Bossy viable by adding a subscription-only membership program that connects female and non-binary business owners with one another. However, she said many former Garage startups do not lend themselves to revenue streams like this and instead require outside funding. “We put a lot of pressure on that time point of graduation and our operations don’t have to be sustainable until then because everyone’s willing to work for free,” Letscher said.“But suddenly then it’s like, ‘Well now what happens?’” The Garage has one fund available for startups post-graduation called NUseeds, Wright said. After pitching their idea to a
Graphic by Roxanne Panas
AN INSTITUTIONAL EXAMINATION ‘The Assistant’ director Kitty Green talks the long shadow of Harvey Weinstein
“T
he Assistant” may be the first great movie to address Harvey Weinstein, but over the course of its hour and 20 minute runtime, the notorious film producer’s name isn’t even mentioned. Kitty Green’s narrative debut, which was released Jan. 31, instead follows Jane ( Julia Garner), a Northwestern graduate working as a junior assistant for an unnamed, unseen producer as she slowly comes to recognize the signs of abuse in her workplace. In its exploration of the film industry through the eyes of someone at the bottom, the film is about something much bigger than one man’s crimes; it’s about how the system protects predators and prevents everyone else from speaking up. The Daily sat down with Green to chat about how she approached portraying Weinstein on-camera and the difficulties of making a movie about the film industry. This conversation has been edited for
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— by Wilson Chapman length and clarity. The Daily: “The Assistant” is your first narrative film after a career working in documentaries. Why did you make that transition? Green: I’m interested in the issue more so than the form. I’m kind of trying to figure out the best way to tell the story I want to tell or talk about the themes I want to talk about. And with this one, it was broader. It’s a systemic problem I’m trying to get at, but I’m trying to point to these very concrete details and microaggressions that are really difficult to capture on-camera in the documentary style. It’s about looks and glances and gestures and things that are more easily captured in a fiction setting, so it just lends itself to that. The Daily: The film deals with a lot of heavy issues regarding gender in the film
industry. How did you make your set a safe space during filming? Green: We had a female-lead crew — we had a First (Assistant Director) that was a woman, and we tried to create the safest and warmest and most loving environment as we were dealing with very heavy themes. We need more female filmmakers because we need more women telling women’s stories and that’s kind of the most important thing right now. Often when you get men attempting to tell women’s stories, they kind of leave something out or they’re less aware of more systemic and cultural issues, and more focused on some kind of sensational storyline. And I feel women, we’re more clued into just how much more complicated it is than that. The Daily: What is it like making a film that deals so heavily with issues in the film industry? Green: It’s very difficult because it’s
very touchy, and there’s a lot of landmines and you’ve got to be careful. I’d say a lot of people in the film industry didn’t want me to make the movie. We had a lot of difficulty getting it financed straight out of the gate because often, the women at the company would want to do it, but their male colleagues would shut it down. For me, after speaking to so many people, I felt a responsibility to tell these stories. It really was important to me that we have conversations that aren’t just about getting rid of Harvey Weinstein, but about something that’s broader and more cultural and systemic.
any dialogue. And, as we were shooting a scene where he calls her, it felt weird to not hear what was coming out of the phone. So we ended up getting those phone calls
F
The Daily: How did you make the decision to keep the producer character off-screen and unnamed, and what power do you think that has? Green: Originally, I didn’t want to have him in it all. But I felt like we needed to sense his power over not only her but the entire workplace. So in the first draft, his body sort of crossed the screen, but he didn’t have
”
or me, after speaking to so many people, I felt a responsibility to tell these stories. It really was important to me that we have conversations that aren’t just about getting rid of Harvey Weinstein, but about something that’s broader and more cultural and systemic. recorded afterwards, but I think we needed them to get a sense of just how corrosive his power is.
The Daily: One thing I think is really interesting about the film is how uncompromisingly bleak it is about the industry, and how difficult it is to raise your voice against systemic abuse. Do you share the same pessimistic outlook on the industry as your film? Green: I think I was making a film that was sort of set before the #MeToo revelation, before that news broke. So I think it was a time before we really had the language to talk about what was going on in the office. So in a sense, it is that bleak because it’s set in a time where there was no way out and people felt trapped in those positions, and they felt like there wasn’t anyone they could speak to about their concerns. So that’s why it’s bleak, because that’s what they are representing. But perhaps if it was set today, she would have somewhere to go to report about what she sees. So I think things are getting better. I’m not that bleak [laughs]. ◊
Source: Bleecker Street
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At Clarke’s Off Campus, the Evanston institution ups its game
T
here are few things in life as satisfying as a perfectly poached egg — the bright yellow yolk is like sunshine in this never-ending winter. But when a plated egg lands in front of me, topping a bed of Canadian bacon and toast, there is a certain sense of anticipation. The dread of a possible overcooked egg sets in, and I begin to wonder if I should have just ordered pancakes. The feeling subsides when I cut it open, the yolk spilling over my breakfast. All I can say is: thank you for the sunshine, Clarke’s Off Campus. Tucked beside Beck’s Book Store, Clarke’s has found a home in Evanston for decades. Hard to miss right on the aptly named Clark Street, the restaurant had always caught the eyes of new students and families. However,
after my first visit freshman year, Clarke’s became less of a brunch establishment in my eyes and more of a late-night breakfast option — competitors like Le Peep and Ovo Frito Cafe just felt like a better alternative for family-weekend brunch. But this past September, Clarke’s moved from its iconic home to further downtown, and now, Clarke’s Off Campus is a breakfast front-runner. Sat just off the corner of Davis and Sherman, Clarke’s Off Campus has updated its decor without sacrificing affordability. Now, the inside is sleek, with a black, white and red color scheme and steel finishings. But the menu has remained virtually the same, with its iconic 60’s-style woman peerpressuring me from the inside flap, saying, “Oh my, you should eat!” Inside, there is still a range of breakfast options like skillets, pancakes and omelets, in addition to lunch plates like sandwiches, burgers and melts.
— by Crystal Wall Breakfast staples like pancakes and waffles are mostly under ten dollars, though you could spend a bit more for specialty options like the German dutch baby. But at its new location, the food was the best I’ve had since that first visit freshman year. Not only were the eggs cooked to my liking, but the English muffin was toasted to perfection and the hashbrowns were seasoned enough that I didn’t think to reach for the salt and pepper shakers. My friends devoured the French toast, deliciously decorated with the fruit of their choosing and dusted with powdered sugar. The bottomless coffee didn’t hurt on a Saturday morning, either. When I saw Clarke’s had moved, I was shocked. I worried it would lose its standing as a frequented Evanston restaurant. But this move may have been what the restaurant needed to take it to the next level. While the relocation of the chain trades convenience for establishment, I believe that Clarke’s Off Campus will be a new family brunch spot to rival any other Evanston weekend institution. ◊
Crystal Wall/Daily Senior Staffer
Reel Thoughts ‘The Photograph’ underdevelops characters, plotline
L
akeith Stanfield has really been in his bag lately: playing prominent roles in “Uncut Gems,” “Knives Out,” and even “Little Women” (his performance as Beth March was stunning). So when I saw his name top billing for the new movie, “The Photograph,” I had high hopes, which were partially met. While Stanfield, who plays rising journalist Michael Block, brings his typical alluring moodiness, his co-star, Issa Rae, doesn’t seem as comfortable within her role. The pair meets while Block is researching a separate story and runs into a lead about the recently deceased mother of Mae Morton (Rae). Morton, a museum curator (because, of course), is coincidentally investigating some letters left to her by her mother. The two go on a date and the rest is complicated, typical rom-com history. Paired with a parallel love story involving Morton’s manic mother, Christina Eames (Chanté Adams) and her former lover, Issac Jefferson (“Insecure’s” Y’lan Noel), on paper, it’s the formula for an entertaining and moving romantic movie, perfect for its Valentine’s Day weekend release date. But on the screen, the movie fell somewhere between a success and a dud. To start, Stanfield and Rae did have chemistry — as in, a deep lack of serotonin. Despite several opportunities to be funny and their normal charismatic selves, they
artinez
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Pictures Source: Universal
both seem more depressed together than with their on-screen friends and family. Stanfield’s interpretation works better for his character, but Rae struggles to find her own, which is a common theme in her post“Insecure” roles. Despite her comedic roots not making a big appearance, the film still has plenty of funny lines, mostly delivered by Block’s brother, played by Lil Rel Howery of “Get Out” fame, as well as the main couple’s friends. Theoretically, this would mean the movie is more on the romantic side of romcom, but even Block and Morton’s close moments are filled with more weightless stares and unrealistic dialogue than moving phrases. They have a cute first-date scene, but their subsequent interactions quickly fall apart. The pair just seems so… sad, probably because Block is such a bad journalist. (Never sleep with your sources!) In the parallel timeline, which takes place in the ‘80s and ‘90s, workaholic single mother Eames can’t bring herself to stay with Jefferson and escapes small-town Louisiana for New York City to become a photographer. Eames’ character is a typical manic pixie dream girl who can’t stay put, ignoring Jefferson’s dependable nature for her future. Her personality is supposed to be reflected in her daughter, but the characters don’t develop enough to make that work, even though they have numerous chances
to do so. There are some highlights: Rae’s looks are next-level. That yellow dress? Plaid coat? Dark brown hair? Exquisite. The wardrobe department really popped off, which is unsurprising. The sets are also pretty, housing scenes in well-furnished apartments, quiet boats and aesthetically pleasing New Orleans jazz clubs. (However, the camera work leaves a lot to be desired — why so many shaky shots?) I came in with pretty high expectations, but the poorly-paced plot muddled with confusing jazz interludes and undeveloped female characters left me wanting more as I left the theater. I’m glad we get to see more diverse representations of love on the screen, but alongside the rise of inclusive movies comes mediocre ones as well. This was a fairly substandard rom-com, but if you’re a huge fan of the genre or want to support black artists, you’ll probably find yourself enjoying this in theaters. If you’re looking for a more acclaimed black romantic movie for Valentine’s Day, I’d suggest streaming films like established classic “Love & Basketball,” Oscar-winning “Moonlight” or acclaimed drama “If Beale Street Could Talk,” to name a few. If you really want to satisfy your Stanfield fix? Try “Sorry to Bother You” — at least he and Tessa Thompson have a more interesting relationship. ◊
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