“Lovers rock” film review

In the absence of serious competition as we head to the end of 2020, Steve McQueen has dropped not one, but now two films that will be in my top five for the year, and have both ranked in the top 100 list for me. McQueen’s latest Small Axe installment is Lovers Rock, which generally plays as more of an ode to Black joy rather than a narrative-driven affair. This goes in direct contrast to the previous “episode”, Mangrove, which was heavily based on plot. Here, audiences go with the flow as the director perfectly encapsulates love, happiness, and plenty of dancing during one night at the club. Fortunately, this is a welcome break from its far different predecessor, and it adds a rare touch of substance to go with its gorgeous stylistic cinematography. I forgot to mention, this movie is one of the most gorgeous-looking things I’ve seen this year alongside I’m Thinking of Ending Things. The warm color palettes and the dazzling camera work brings a certain sense of vibrance and energy. This greatly helps the film evoke these emotions and perhaps bring them to the viewers’ hearts.

Explaining the actual story will likely be the toughest bit of writing this review, so I’ll be brief about it, and then sort of analyze why this works to the film’s benefit. It’s basically about intertwining stories of developing relationships in the backdrop of violence, romance, and music at one house party set in 1980s West London. The characters are generally thin, but we do get plenty of time with both Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn’s Martha and Michael Ward’s Franklyn, who are principally the protagonists. People reading this will have a hard time comprehending about why this is worth watching, and I’ll give you the answer. Before the credits roll at the end, Steve McQueen gives a note of dedication to “all lovers and rockers”, meaning that all 70 minutes of it was mostly a celebration of madcap, non-stop partying with undertones of romance between its characters. In more simple terms, this was never supposed to carry a complex, thought-provoking storyline, and was meant to capture a little slice-of-life magnificently, unlike a certain someone (cough Sofia Coppola cough). If Lovers Rock decided to go in that direction, it would have been a contradiction to itself, and because it doesn’t, audiences will have to learn to appreciate its trance-like madness without having a true plot to follow.

There isn’t a great amount to say about the performances, either due to the limited dialogue. What I can elaborate on is that the dancing was absolutely captivating to witness, and we cannot forget the choreography planning that was put into this. Each scene in the house is unforgettable, leading up to one particularly memorable sing-a-long electrified by the performers. This can both be attributed to the actors, who all do a phenomenal job, and then we have the cinematography. The film is completely drenched in neon-laden lighting, and every single color bleeds off the screen, making it an utter feast for the eyes. I would even go as far as to compare it to some more fever dreams we’ve seen in the past decade…It reminded me of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive and Only God Forgives with hints of Gaspar Noe’s Climax. The synchronous performers almost seemed like they were all stuck in a loop of music, unable to break free, giving off feelings of both freedom and captivity. For better or for worse, this was an interesting experience that uses its artful eye candy instead of plot points to move things forward, setting a new bar for visual storytelling.

The final opinion is: Steve McQueen’s Lovers Rock is a bright, vibrant and energetic fever dream dripping with neon and masterful visual storytelling that makes up for its unconventional approach…$PLURGE IT

"Lovers Rock" is an Electrifying Experience, and a Masterclass in Cinematography

“Lovers rock” film review

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