Customer Reviews

Love Jones [VHS]

5 star:		(117)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This movie debuted in an era where the gangster and shot-em-up movies were prevalent. It was so refreshing to see a black love story about the ups and downs...joys and sorrows of a relationship. I thought Larenz Tate and Nia Long gave a phenomenal performance. I have watched this movie a zillion times and have not gotten tired of it once. As a matter of fact, after all these years, this movie still has the power to evoke emotion out of me. I still smile when Darius read his poem to Nina the first night they met...I still get angry when Darius hooked up with that chick as soon as Nina left town...I still get tears in my eyes at the end of the movie when Darius tells Nina that the love he feels for her is "urgent like a ..." Need I go on. In my book, this movie is an all time black love story.

Love Jones is a film worth upholding. It is a beautiful love story full of realistic characters. It is one of the few black films in the last twenty years that deplicts blacks like we truly are: intelligent, cultural and just as obsessed with being in love as anyone else.

Larenz Tate plays Darius. Being an author myself I could relate fully to his character. While struggling with his upcoming book he meets Nina played by Nia Long. Nina is a photographer who's struggling just as much as he is, but her feet appear to be on the ground more firmly than Darius'. Darius and Nina begin a passionate love affair that is cut short when Darius' friends and Nina's ex get too involved. This is the perfect example of how a relationship can suffer due to too many " outside " opinions. Darius and Nina realize they cannot focus on their careers because their hearts and minds are on each other. Nina returns to the spot they first met: the sultry poetry and blues club where Darius first spied her. Nina delivers a touching poem in Darius' honor unaware that he is around. The two pick up where they left off and declare their love for one another.

This film is touching without being as mushy as some romance movies. Larenz and Nia have wonderful chemistry despite the fact that Long is five years older than Tate. The supporting characters include the wonderful Isiah Washington and MTV's Bill Bellemy. If you keep your eyes open you'll see Khalil Kain playing another delightful supporting role as Nina's ex.
I am a big Larenz Tate fan and I've liked Nia Long since her days on " Guiding Light ". The two have both grown tremendously as actors and they prove it in this film. I wish there could be a sequel. I'll keep my fingers crossed. If you haven't seen this movie you've been cheated out of one hell of a love story. It's a modern " starcrossed lovers " romance suited for all ages and professions.

This movie had reminded me of watching the old black and white movies with my dad. More true to life characters looking for love, being in love, and loosing it. Old story fresh view. Larenz Tate was so Cary Grant in style as the character may have been in a clumsey situation, but the actor kept him from looking silly and like a cardboard cut out.
Nia Long has always been a favorite of mine she is sweet even whe she is tough, almost like a Kathrine Hepburn.
This is one of his best work and showing that he is better than always playing an angry black man.

Great movie an great performance bye all.....BUY THIS MOVIE!!!

Larenz Tate and Nia Long make the most attractive couple I've ever seen on film. Bill Bellamy made me despise his character (which means he did his job). And Lisa Nicole Carson has a smile, that sends tingles up my spine. The only down side to this movie is the alcohol consumption. Everytime the characters get together, alcohol is involved. It took me about 20 viewings to catch that fact though. It fully sums up love in one simple line, "Physics the s*@t ain't!" If you've ever loved and lost (or even loved at all!) that line speaks volumes more than any other four words can. All in all, it's a very inspired work, that is sure to become a classic (it is already among my friends).

This is a good portrayal of black love. Everyone in the movie has a laid back, kicking it, kind of atmosphere. The movie stars Nia Long (Nina) & Larenz Tate (Darius) as a potential love connection. Nina just got out of a bad relationship with a man that she had planned on marrying. She thought brothers were "played out like an 8 track." She was not interested in another man, only her work as a photographer. Along comes Darius whom she meets in a poetry relaxing, groovy type atmosphere club. Nina is not in the process of looking for a man, but like they say, you can't chose who you fall in love with. Nina enters Darius's world, she picks up his habits, and she falls for him physically and sexually as well as mentally. But no love story would be complete if there wasn't an added piece to this juicy tale. Both characters don't really want each one to know that they are falling for each other and feeling the wrath of a love jones, until it's to late for the relationship to be saved. Nina drifts away from what they have in order to make sure that Darius is really whom she wants, while Darius tries to play the "hard" role and act like he's not falling for Nina. Both are taking on an emotional roller coaster of love and forced to stop playing these childish games. But is it to late? THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST PICTURES NIA LONG HAS PLAYED IN BESIDES THE BEST MAN. AND SISTA'S HAIR LOOKS FAB-U-LOUS!!

WHAT CAN I SAY? THIS IS MY FAVORITE MOVIE SO I GUESS MY REVIEW IS BIASED. THIS WAS VERY REFRESHING AFTER SO MANY MOVIES STEREOTYPICAL MOVIES STARRING AFRICAN AMERICANS. YOU SEE PEOPLE ALL LOVE IN THE SAME LANGUAGE, AND IN THIS CASE LANGUAGE WAS USED TO INVITE LOVE, TO MAKE LOVE, TO BETRAY LOVE AND TO CRY OUT FOR LOVE. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE, YOU NEED TO BUY IT. THIS IS A COLLECTOR, FOR THOSE WHO STILL BELIEVE IN LOVE CONQUERING ALL.

"Love Jones" is a movie that has all the tools to be considered a classic. We as young african americans can finally watch a flick and see positive black professionals without the normal "ghetto stigma"..

I've seen/heard some mixed reviews on this black love story, but all in all people get it and they really feel it...it's nice to see african-americans represent "black love"...Nia Long and Larenz Tate did an excellent job and the accompanying soundtrack is off the chain as well...the movie is all good and like other reviewers have said it didn't get the marketing and publicity that it should have gotten...

this movie came out a while back when the "gansta/thug life" movies were coming out and people were flocking to the theaters to see our people get shot up, act up and just act plain ghetto, but that's a whole other story....

Love Jones definitely should be added to your video collection...the movie just keeps it real as far as the characters, the dialogue, and plot...a must have for anyone who loves romance

I loved the movie. It was a breath of air compared to the shoot 'em up, player, beauty shop, and so on black movies. I loved the simplicity of the movie. Yes, it was slow and could have used a little "umph". Overall, I liked seeing a positive movie about black love.

I find it ironic that black movies about violence and stereotypes fares better than a nice simple romantic movie. I guess if she had gotten beaten or he was a cold-hearted player than the movie would have thrilled more people. LOL.

I say that lovejones was a good try and start at something different we rarely see in our real lives or on the screen. Too bad there couldn't have been a lovejones 2 or at least other nice black romances on the screen. We need to move to another level now that we have a foot in the door of the movie industry.

i saw this movie about a year ago..and it has yet to leave my head. in fact, that's why i'm buying it. this is truly a movie that can transcend racial and ethnic boundaries to focus on what is important in life: love. oh, and poetry.:-) through the brilliant use of spoken word, this age-old love story is told, and if you're not moved by it, then you obviously don't have a heart, mind, and soul. this movie is brilliant lyrically and cinematographically. have i mentioned i'm a suburban white kid? no joke. i'm a performance artists..or at least i try to be...and never before have i seen a movie that captures the beauty of spoken word art, love, and the relation between the two. whether the characters in this movie were black, white, asian, or alien, the heart in the story is still the same.