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Onscreen, romance is best communicated through looks.
Sometimes theyre furtive as if he were embarrassed by the sheer burden of his crush.
The impact was so intense the audience around me at a recent screening swelled withoohsandaws.
Theyre both fresh from previous entanglements.
The Photographis easily charming.
Its humor is easygoing.
Were left feeling as though both characters, and the relationship between them, are undeveloped.
Theres only one problem: Its hard to believe that Christina actuallywasa poor mother figure.
Despite the uneven treatment, I loved Christinas arc.
Her dynamic with the younger Isaac breathes life into ideas, like the ways ambition can curdle a relationship.
His lip trembles as he attempts to keep his emotions from spilling out.
Everyone inThe Photographbrings a necessary quality to the film.
Howery is gently hilarious, stitching humor into the fabric of the drama.
Vance brings quiet gravitas; Noel brings grace.
)He plays Michael like a down-to-earth character and the kind of man youve seen before.
Charming, smart, but constantly getting in his own way.
Hes bowed by the love he begins to feel from Mae.
At times, hes effervescent, even giddy with that newfound crush.
Other times, hes sodden with mistakes.
In the end, none of this fine acting matters if the central romance doesnt work.
Its both alluring and withholding.
On a more aesthetic level, the chaste sex scenes lack intrigue.
Narratively, the problem that severs them is never solved.
And yetThe Photographis a sincerely beguiling film, even for its faults.
