Small Axe: Lovers Rock

February 14, 2021 9:09 PM - Season 1, Episode 2

Lovers Rock is a 2020 romance film directed by Steve McQueen and co-written by McQueen and Courttia Newland. It stars Micheal Ward and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn as two lovers who meet at a reggae house party in 1980 in West London. The film was released as part of the anthology series Small Axe.
posted by latkes (4 comments total)

I have never seen anything quite like this. Incredibly beautiful, McQueen's devotional eye lingering on every scene. The music carrying the entire movie through it's only lightly linear path from evening to morning... I hardly know what to say about it! I would love to read some thoughtful essays if anyone has seen writing about this that they'd like to share.
posted by latkes at 9:28 PM on February 14, 2021 [1 favorite]

I haven’t seen much writing on this at all. Maybe *nobody* knows what to say about it, because it’s just... perfect? I mean, it just kind of is. And it speaks for itself.
Funnily enough I stuck the soundtrack on earlier this evening and Silly Games has been reverberating around my head ever since, just as it did for days and days after watching it.
posted by chill at 1:43 PM on February 15, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yeah, the music is incredible and creates most of the emotional peaks and flows of the film. I remember reading a review early on about the violence just at the margins of the film, but how McQueen keeps the viewer centered in the safe and connected space inside the community. But I can't recall where... I miss Film Comment ):
posted by latkes at 2:43 PM on February 15, 2021

I would love to read some thoughtful essays if anyone has seen writing about this that they'd like to share.

latkes, there was a recent post on the blue about Lovers Rock that you might enjoy.

The main link is this Vulture article: How Steve McQueen Pulled Off the Year’s Best Movie Scene Lovers Rock shows what happens when white people aren’t looking — the rapture in black joy.

I also found this one on Slate (and linked to it in that previous thread): Steve McQueen Gives Us His Song-by-Song Guide to Lovers Rock

I finally got to see this last week and really enjoyed it, thank you for making the post. I'm looking forward to watching the rest of the Small Axe films.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 5:21 PM on February 15, 2021 [2 favorites]