Very rarely am I enamored with a movie as much as I have been with Sylvie's Love. After all, my all-time favorite movie was released in 1989, three years after I was born. So it's pretty fair to say that I don't give up that spot to movies easily. But ladies, Sylvie's Love, was everything--everything I didn't know I needed in a rom com, complete with the blackness that I always look for, easily catapulting itself into one of my all-time favorites. #comethruAmazon
The movie stars Tessa Thompson (Sylvie) and Nnamdi Asomugha (Robert), who embark on a summer romance in the 1950's. They meet at Sylvie's father's record store, while he's a saxophonist and she has television production aspirations. After Robert accepts a gig in Paris, the two lose contact and spend the rest of the movie trying to gain back the feeling of what they had way back when.
Will they end up together? We never know, but we are certainly losing edges as we wait to see.
What was most beautiful about the movie, is it amplifies black love in eras where we are only told that our history is based on inequality, or fighting for civil rights, or rebuilding from what was taken from us in the past. But even slaves had love stories, or Malcolm X was more than just a revolutionary--he was a husband and father too.
Both director, Eugene Ashe, and Thompson profoundly addressed this in Essence, when they said:
"Even Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. still had a bunch of babies and fell in love. It's really important to show that we existed in the past [beyond] the 'struggle culture'—that Black folks were still falling in love. I think not showing that is a way of erasing us."
Tessa added:
"At a time when we're talking about the value and dignity of Black life…it's really great to have a [love] story that offers some escapism for audiences, and that feels sweeping and beautiful and hopeful about love. We really need those kinds of narratives."
And it turns out that most that have watched, feel the same way:
Some took note of their dynamic:
Others discussed that they've watched it multiple times:
Many were here for the writing AND acting:
Others loved the physical:
Many viewers were also thankful for the movie's timing:
And they also loved the acting from top to bottom:
Whatever your thoughts, it's pretty clear that Sylvie's Love will be a timeless classic in the culture for years to come.
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Have you watched yet?
Feature image via Sylvie's Love
With a multi-layered approach to her artistry, just as she did on that winter day in December 2013 with the infamous digital drop of her self-titled album, she changed the game again on February 1, 2023, when she announced her world tour in support of Renaissance, her seventh studio album. Her cultural impact set the internet ablaze, with everyone trying to gather their coins, barter for presale codes, and figure out which cities to attend. The group chats were lit, and the Beyhive was stressed trying to get their hands on tickets.
Photo courtesy of Dontaira Terrell
Unfortunately, I was in that number. As the concert dates passed by and the one in my city drawing near all roads led to disappointment. With time ticking on the day of the Miami show and less than two hours to spare, my wallet bit the bullet, and I purchased three last-minute tickets, costing roughly $700.00 a piece (including fees) for me, my 9-year-old and 16-year-old nieces in Section 121 at the Hard Rock Stadium. With 10 minutes before showtime, we eagerly awaited the Queen to take the stage. A sea of metallic fringes, cowboy hats, disco fans, and western boots were in full effect and filled the entire stadium.
As the lights dimmed, a flood of emotions instantly overtook my body. It continued with each note she belted, along with nearly 50,000 roaring fans. The reverberating sound of the music through the stadium transported me from one era of my life to the next. As a teen girl in her bedroom daydreaming about her first love to blossoming into an unapologetic Black woman who is still on a road of self-discovery while learning to lean into the power anthem of "You won't break my soul." For over two hours, and with each set, I felt joy, love, peace, and a commanderie with fellow concertgoers. It was therapeutic as I danced like no one was watching and sang as if I were alone in my bathroom mirror.
There were no bars held, and I realized at that moment, "Nobody can judge me but me." The "Renaissance World Tour" proved to be so vast, and my Black girl joy was re-invigorated. It was magnetic and liberating, and I had to attend again, but this time, I needed to be up close and personal; I needed to be on the floor. In the days that passed, I watched more social media clips in different cities and asked myself if I would really splurge again to attend another Renaissance show.
Photo courtesy of Dontaira Terrell
After all, this would be my thirteenth time (maybe more because I lost count) seeing Beyoncé live, whether she was on tour with Destiny's Child, as a solo artist, or doing a live appearance. I contemplated for a while, but it worked itself out on its own. I was gifted two tickets and the next thing I knew, I was off to LA to attend another Renaissance show with floor seats at SoFi Stadium during Beyonce's 42nd birthday weekend! This time, things were different: no kids were allowed. It was adults only this go round.
Although the energy at the Miami and Los Angeles shows was empowering, infectious, and a celebration of life, happiness, and identity, they each provided their own unique experience. However, both concerts were what I needed for my well-being, leaving me with sore feet from dancing the night away, on vocal rest for the next few days from screaming at the top of my lungs, and on an indefinite high on life.
My introduction and love for Beyoncé began in 1996, while my older sister lived in Houston, TX, right before Bey hit the scene in 1998 with "No, No, No" as a budding R&B member. Her evolution twenty-seven years later as an international superstar and into womanhood has been an incredible journey to witness. As Mrs. Carter reminds each of us in the audience every night before the curtain closes, "I want you to remember this moment, where you're standing, who you came with, and take it with you. I hope you feel inspired."
I truly felt inspired, so thank you, Queen Bey. You awakened my inner child, and I will definitely remember these moments and take them with me.
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Feature image by Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood
