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Forum nameGeneral Discussion
Topic subjectSylvie’s Love
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=4&topic_id=13417987
13417987, Sylvie’s Love
Posted by Ron Burgandy, Mon Dec-28-20 11:16 AM
Surprised this hasn’t been discussed. I was thoroughly entertained. Really loved the music in this film. This movie really made me long for a resurgence in the jazz clubs. If we ever get back to “normal” I hope this becomes a thing, outside of the spots in bigger cities.
13418000, I will later...
Posted by Trinity444, Mon Dec-28-20 12:40 PM
13418006, Watching now
Posted by Bambino Grande, Mon Dec-28-20 01:09 PM
13418020, watched it a few days ago
Posted by legsdiamond, Mon Dec-28-20 03:06 PM
I was expecting some grande finale or for her to become some big star..

but it was just a beautiful love story about Black love and I loved it.

when he drove to Detroit tho, man.. I woulda slapped dude.
13418156, One of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever watched...
Posted by Creole, Wed Dec-30-20 11:51 AM

I enjoyed it so much that I’ve seen it twice in the last two days. The first time was a couple nights ago. I couldn’t sleep. So, I hit the switch and was honestly mesmerized. Last night, my wife wanted to watch it with me. So, I hit the switch and watched her become mesmerized by it.

The music. The setting. The acting. The story. I wanna go to that time and space.

And I’m still wondering what would life have been like if we’d seen that sort of representation of ourselves in film during the 40s, 50s, 60s, and so on. At the tail end and during the credits, there’s a simple homage to Diahann Carroll, Nancy Wilson, and Doris Day. Those women didn’t get their chance to really give us stories like their white counterparts did during their heyday.

I’ll probably dive in again in a week or so.
13418158, going to watch again with the wife
Posted by legsdiamond, Wed Dec-30-20 11:57 AM
we watched the photograph last night.

my only beef with Sylvia was the length. They added an extra half hour and it was basically to show flashbacks of scenes from the movie.

Thats my only criticism and its petty but I hate when films show you clips of the movie in a montage like you forgot what you watched an hour ago.

13418183, The reflections didn’t really bother me because I was so caught up...
Posted by Creole, Wed Dec-30-20 02:09 PM
waiting for somebody to say something or to walk through the door. And I’ve hated dude she married since he was a slave-hating slave in The Underground a few years ago. Couldn’t wait for rocks to be kicked!

Enjoy it with her! My wife doesn’t really get into movies like that. She did last night though.
13418229, extraordinary love...
Posted by Trinity444, Wed Dec-30-20 06:55 PM
it was beautiful 😢
13418319, I loved this movie 🍿
Posted by Case_One, Thu Dec-31-20 07:04 PM

.
.

Life is Good.
13418374, i liked the idea of the movie, and not the movie itself.
Posted by bleekgilliam_420, Fri Jan-01-21 08:46 PM
it wasn't a great love story, as everyone was fucking up...lol. i really enjoyed the feel of the film. it looked like it was an older film, with updates. the music in it was also amazing.
13418375, Everything but the actual movie was beautiful
Posted by Heinz, Sat Jan-02-21 02:09 AM
The story arc and writing was pretty terrible.

Spoilers..




















The build up between the two of them wasn’t believable for her to cheat on her fiancé so quick, which is why the lead up to the first kiss was pretty dumb. The father dying off screen was a poor choice. He died from a heart attack but was able to make a phone call to tell dude that the child that was really dumb and doing it off screen was a terrible choice. So he finds out that child is his and he isn’t mad enough to go there right away?! When he does he is barely angry, and all it took to fix it was touching his face? That apparently erased missing 5 years of his kids life LOL Really bad writing for a movie that really did a good job with the tone and look. All she did was make really bad decisions. She cheated on her fiancé, her husband, kept her child a secret because dude was going away for a tour not war. That poor fiancé was at war still thinking he was engaged LOL


----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418379, the pace was fine to me. how did you feel about Titanic? lmao
Posted by legsdiamond, Sat Jan-02-21 08:53 AM
ole girl left her fiance like a day into the boat ride

I don’t think its unrealistic to kiss dude after seeing him play the sax all sexy and shit.
13418382, lmao facts
Posted by Bambino Grande, Sat Jan-02-21 11:12 AM

>I don’t think its unrealistic to kiss dude after seeing him
>play the sax all sexy and shit.
13418384, LOL using the excuse that a white movie did it is lame
Posted by Heinz, Sat Jan-02-21 01:40 PM
The difference between the two movies is that Titanic had way more movie time to where the speed of them falling in love works. The build up to cheat on her fiance who they gave no context of being a POS where there would be motivation to run to something better the way they did that in Titanic is missing and why it works in that movie. He was just a good dude off to war fighting for his country. It doesn't make sense. It needed more time other than sitting on basement stairs in a quick scene.


----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418386, wasn't the husband a sell out?
Posted by Trinity444, Sat Jan-02-21 02:22 PM
it’s interesting that you reach that conclusion after she explained to him why she was leaving him. not that I condone cheating, lol



13418442, not an excuse... an example of how quickly someone can cheat
Posted by legsdiamond, Sun Jan-03-21 09:20 PM
on their fiancé.. especially one that is out of sight.

Why do you think “white film” instead of film vs film?

Titanic is actually a great example because both mothers were about status, not love.

This movie was a prime example of marrying someone who is safe vs someone who is creative, spontaneous and artsy. She likes TV and music.. and he’s a
musician.

13418407, i think she made some mistakes, but this wasn't really on her.
Posted by bleekgilliam_420, Sun Jan-03-21 09:13 AM
more spoilers




















i mean cheating on her finance and then not telling ole boy that she was pregnant was on her, but not much else. and i understand her saying she didn't want to have that mess with him leaving, but meh.
the action of the men in the film were largely the issue. they stayed fucking up. i hated how they were written, which made it so much less of a love story.
13418417, Agreed everyones choices were messed
Posted by Heinz, Sun Jan-03-21 12:46 PM
>> i mean cheating on her finance and then not telling ole boy that she was pregnant was on her, but not much else. and i understand her saying she didn't want to have that mess with him leaving, but meh.

My issue is he wasn’t leaving forever. Was odd.

>> the action of the men in the film were largely the issue. they stayed fucking up. i hated how they were written, which made it so much less of a love story.

Yep. Shouldve been called “People making bad choices to cool music” lol


----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418411, hm
Posted by Damali, Sun Jan-03-21 10:50 AM

>The build up between the two of them wasn’t believable for
>her to cheat on her fiancé so quick, which is why the lead up
>to the first kiss was pretty dumb.

It was an arranged marriage based on status and she was not in love with him. therefore, her heart was available. It makes perfect sense that someone interesting could come along and ignite it.



The father dying off screen
>was a poor choice. He died from a heart attack but was able to
>make a phone call to tell dude that the child that was really
>dumb and doing it off screen was a terrible choice.

yeah that part was kinda dumb.


So he
>finds out that child is his and he isn’t mad enough to go
>there right away?! When he does he is barely angry, and all it
>took to fix it was touching his face? That apparently erased
>missing 5 years of his kids life LOL Really bad writing for a
>movie that really did a good job with the tone and look.

His reactions fit with the way they wrote his character. He was not hotheaded..pretty even tempered, feels things deeply, thinks before he speaks and acts...maybe you're not used to seeing Black men like that on film but i found it beautiful...

you assume he should be angry...but clearly that was not his main emotion in that scenario. not everyone defaults to that, you know. personally, i would have found it cliched if they had him storm right over to her. i like the choice the writers made.

All
>she did was make really bad decisions. She cheated on her
>fiancé, her husband, kept her child a secret because dude was
>going away for a tour not war. That poor fiancé was at war
>still thinking he was engaged LOL
>
which is exactly what most people do. we all have made a series of bad decisions...she made alot of good decisions, as well. she followed her dream to become a television producer..made sure to provide a stable loving environment for her child, supported her husband etc

funny how you see only the bad things she did.

d


"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
13418415, ? funny how you see only the bad things she did
Posted by Heinz, Sun Jan-03-21 12:42 PM
The movie is named after her character lol


----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418421, i said way more than that in my reply lol
Posted by Damali, Sun Jan-03-21 02:07 PM
and yes, i know.

my point was, she did good things too..not just bad things.

d

"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
13418558, He was waiting on Rodney, from Baby Boy, to appear...
Posted by Creole, Mon Jan-04-21 08:03 PM
13418679, Lmao
Posted by Heinz, Tue Jan-05-21 01:16 PM

----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418440, This is a trash assessment. I applaud that they focused on the love
Posted by FLUIDJ, Sun Jan-03-21 07:32 PM

Instead of amplifying drama.



"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
13418441, Are you white?
Posted by FLUIDJ, Sun Jan-03-21 07:33 PM

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
13418449, Would have never guessed you were black lmao
Posted by Heinz, Mon Jan-04-21 01:41 AM
Just say you won’t/can’t agree because its a black cast and crew so you are unable to be objective about the actual movie because you are black. Trash. I like Tessa Thompson too but this movie is trash.

Loved the way it was shot and I believed they were in the period it’s set in. kerry’s husband was great too. just bad writing and execution in story.


----------

IG @erichrigonan
13418452, Nothing about my posting over the past 18+ years would suggest otherwise
Posted by FLUIDJ, Mon Jan-04-21 06:42 AM
There's nothing ambiguous about my Blackness.

I won't/can't agree because the majority of the critiques are dismissive of what the movie is intended to be. It's a love story first and foremost....written and shot with a pretty blatant and specific formula and feel in mind. The elements that you're being critical of are the exact elements that are there to make it what it is.

With that said....the fact that it's a black cast, a Black love story, absent of all the oppression porn, that we for some reason crave to see, does it indeed make it that much sweeter for me.

13418575, its Black, with a capital B.
Posted by Damali, Mon Jan-04-21 10:44 PM

"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
13418381, Beautifully Shot
Posted by tomjohn29, Sat Jan-02-21 10:07 AM
13418439, Phenomenal. Enjoyed immensely!! Was skeptical...
Posted by FLUIDJ, Sun Jan-03-21 07:28 PM
The trailer did it a disservice big time!
13418451, watched it this weekend
Posted by wluv, Mon Jan-04-21 06:27 AM
Liked it but me and wifey didn't love the ending though.

I hate when writers cant write a good ending to a good story.

Left so many unanswered questions. Not going to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet.
13418453, Yeah.. the ending was a bit of a let down
Posted by legsdiamond, Mon Jan-04-21 08:37 AM
for a movie that long I wanted a better ending but being reunited isn’t the worst ending to a love story.

I was curious if he even tried to write more songs

13418461, his argument throughout was, I wanted you to be happy...
Posted by Trinity444, Mon Jan-04-21 09:53 AM
in the end she told him, “what if I told you I couldn’t be happy without you”.

how is that a bad ending?

it’s weird reading some of the replies by married folks not understand the story line.

13418463, they weren’t rich? no one became a star?
Posted by legsdiamond, Mon Jan-04-21 09:58 AM
I think sometimes people, myself included, want more than just a good ole fashion love story.

It was a great film, I really enjoyed it.

some of these people criticizing the movie aren’t Black and aren’t married.
13418559, plenty of that on TV now...
Posted by Trinity444, Mon Jan-04-21 08:06 PM
or maybe the sacrifices women make isn’t understood. her position in life was far better than his but she give it all up for the sake of love. Remember when her cousin reminded her of her dishonesty... when she was questioning why he didn’t tell her about Detroit.

even his love for her wasn’t superficial. his calmness when he confronted her about the child. Smoking on the basement stairs...”you have one too, what does that mean?”

so pure...

man, you don’t see shi* like that on tv and BLACK FOLKS, lol

I love it..


13418561, RE: they weren’t rich? no one became a star?
Posted by Creole, Mon Jan-04-21 08:09 PM
>I think sometimes people, myself included, want more than
>just a good ole fashion love story.
>
That’s what it was though, bro. The focus was on the love and not on the happily ever after where he becomes the greatest saxophonist ever and she becomes an Emmy-winning producer.

Nah! It was dope for her to have made that trip to tell him that she basically ain’t wanna do life without him.

13418563, the beauty of that...
Posted by Trinity444, Mon Jan-04-21 08:19 PM
the innocence of not even knowing why he didn’t tell her about Detroit. her cousin...I think it was her cousin, schooled her. Girl, he ain’t tell you for the same reason you didn’t him about the baby...


13418650, yeah.. we are just used to fairy tale endings
Posted by legsdiamond, Tue Jan-05-21 11:11 AM
and the reality is just finding someone who you want to spend the rest of your life with and making the moves to make it work is enough..

well, it should be but people want more. Prolly why so many marriages fail in the first few years. The wedding isn’t the end, its the beginning and people come off that high like “now what?”
13418560, I’m thinking we need a romance board cuz these bammas lackin...
Posted by Creole, Mon Jan-04-21 08:06 PM
with their mackin’!


13418562, I’m already in love with the idea lol...
Posted by Trinity444, Mon Jan-04-21 08:11 PM
13418675, you can tell who is single.. lol
Posted by legsdiamond, Tue Jan-05-21 01:09 PM
13418574, RE: his argument throughout was, I wanted you to be happy...
Posted by wluv, Mon Jan-04-21 10:22 PM
its a bad ending because it left you wondering how he was going to take care of them on his factory salary when he himself knew it wasn't enough. They couldn't ended it with her getting an offer from a tv station in Detroit somewhere or B. Gordy finally calling him for a good paying job so that he take care of his family.

Thats why the fairy tale sht dont play with couples.

Love is NOT enough when you trying to take care of 3 people on 1 man salary. The struggle gets real after the love glow is gone.

If he felt his factory job was enough, he would have called them out there as soon as he got the job. He had no intention of reaching out to her.

Just one more scene could have made it better to me because i was rooting for them hard.

Show me the happy ending dammit and im good.
13418642, I hear you...
Posted by Trinity444, Tue Jan-05-21 10:54 AM
it left room for interpretation. let me ask you this, if love isn’t enough what sustains a relationship?

remember their conversation about absolute love? life being too short to waste time on things you don’t absolute love. she replied, “how do you know if you absolutely love something”. he didn’t have an answered but told her, love is all that mattered.

the way it makes you feel...

I honestly forgot all about their issues because the display of love was so beautiful.


13418742, RE: I hear you...
Posted by wluv, Tue Jan-05-21 10:53 PM
>it left room for interpretation. let me ask you this, if love
>isn’t enough what sustains a relationship?

Cant speak for everyone on this but i believe clear communication, maintaining respect for one another, the mutual understanding that a relationship needs to have a peace of mind for it to flourish is huge in my relationship. Involved in a peace of mind is the ability to support each other physically, emotionally, and having your financial house in order.
>
>remember their conversation about absolute love? life being
>too short to waste time on things you don’t absolute love.
>she replied, “how do you know if you absolutely love
>something”. he didn’t have an answered but told her, love
>is all that mattered.
>
>the way it makes you feel...
>
>I honestly forgot all about their issues because the display
>of love was so beautiful.
>
>
Their love was beautiful. The way they had patience for one another until dude skipped out feeling less than a man. But he knew that for their relationship to continue, he would have to pull his own weight eventually, especially in the 50s and 60s when men were expected to always be the breadwinner. That pressure was too much for him at that moment.
13418814, RE: I hear you...
Posted by Trinity444, Wed Jan-06-21 10:22 AM
>Cant speak for everyone on this but i believe clear
>communication, maintaining respect for one another, the mutual
>understanding that a relationship needs to have a peace of
>mind for it to flourish is huge in my relationship. Involved
>in a peace of mind is the ability to support each other
>physically, emotionally, and having your financial house in
>order.

the prerequisite is love tho.

>
>>
>Their love was beautiful. The way they had patience for one
>another until dude skipped out feeling less than a man. But
>he knew that for their relationship to continue, he would have
>to pull his own weight eventually, especially in the 50s and
>60s when men were expected to always be the breadwinner. That
>pressure was too much for him at that moment.

his feelings of being a failure didn’t even matter to her. hence the ending...
13418823, he was trying to be the man she fell in love with
Posted by legsdiamond, Wed Jan-06-21 10:34 AM
he already was..

but he thought he needed to be a musician for her to respect and love him.
13418648, Are we sure a factory gig doesn’t pay enough for a family in Detroit?
Posted by legsdiamond, Tue Jan-05-21 11:09 AM
for a family of 3?

man, back then people had families of 6 to 8 grinding it out.

but we have no idea if she quit or got transferred to a sister station. Point is, she has a good job history and I’m sure they made it just fine.

Bit the story wasn’t about what happened after the credits role.. lol.

13418651, fact of the matter...
Posted by Trinity444, Tue Jan-05-21 11:17 AM
Robert probably assumed because she was married to a guy with money that he wouldn’t be good enough for her. when in fact, he taught her love...

13418744, RE: Are we sure a factory gig doesn’t pay enough for a family in Detroit?
Posted by wluv, Tue Jan-05-21 11:06 PM
>for a family of 3?
>
>man, back then people had families of 6 to 8 grinding it out.
>
i dont think HE believed it or else he would have sent for them instead of her having to go searching for him

>but we have no idea if she quit or got transferred to a sister
>station.

Thats my point playa lol. Why couldnt they tell us what happened instead of guessing

Point is, she has a good job history and I’m sure
>they made it just fine.

True. Which she probably did make out okay
>
>Bit the story wasn’t about what happened after the credits
>role.. lol.
>
3 more minutes of the story would have wrapped it up just fine though.

But its cool though. i thoroughly enjoyed the movie for the most part though.

Dont want yall think i didn't like the movie.
13418816, He didn’t want her to come because he is ashamed he stopped
Posted by legsdiamond, Wed Jan-06-21 10:28 AM
chasing his dream.

and he doesn’t want her to leave her dream job.

He did the same thing to her as she did to him when she didnt want him to know she was pregnant because he probably would’ve quit the band and stayed in NYC.

why did you need to know what happened next? That wasn’t part of the story. Being together is the story. Not the happily ever after.

I felt the same way when it first ended, then I realized that it wasn’t about their jobs. It was just about their love.
13418462, I hated that the ended left us hanging...but I think that was by design since..
Posted by FLUIDJ, Mon Jan-04-21 09:57 AM
it mimics how old movies in that vein often ended. We're just so used to closure with modern movies....
13418855, it didn't tho. it answered the question of Will They Be Together?
Posted by Damali, Wed Jan-06-21 11:52 AM
the whole movie was asking that question...once we saw that the answer was yes, what more do you need to see?

d

"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
13419417, good point...so true.
Posted by FLUIDJ, Fri Jan-08-21 07:26 AM
13420906, ^^^
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Tue Jan-19-21 07:00 PM
13420782, I thought the ending was perfect and clear, they (re)committed to
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Mon Jan-18-21 02:39 PM
Each other and making it work, however that may look and whatever that may entail. They fully embraced their eternal love for each other and that they wanted to restore their family.
13419411, Watched it the other night. Really enjoyed it. Score was incredible
Posted by Hitokiri, Fri Jan-08-21 01:16 AM
And it works despite the somewhat poor writing.

The score reminded me of Rurouni Kenshin: Trust & Betrayl, which I haven't seen in like 10-11 years.
13420783, I loved loved loved this movie. Start to finish. But where was mc lyte
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Mon Jan-18-21 02:42 PM
In this film??? As with all movies I deep my wiki deep dive after watching it and it said mc lyte was in this film as a “mikki”. Did her scene get cut or something lol

Anyway this movie was just perfect. I actually watched it twice already lol.

Side note Robert (the lead) should have whupped ole boy at motowns ass lmao I was like this muthafucka here

This cast was amazing too. Quite a lot of talent
13420807, so i'm not the only weirdo that does this? LOL
Posted by Damali, Tue Jan-19-21 09:27 AM
>In this film??? As with all movies I deep my wiki deep dive
>after watching it

Except my deep dive is the IMDB.com trivia/did you know? section to find out all the production tidbits

so i guess i should start going on the wiki too?! I'd never thought of that

this has been a post film ritual of mine for YEARS. i'd never seen anyone else say they do that after everything they watch

d
13420902, LOL yes it’s a ritual for me. Sometimes I start before I even finish
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Tue Jan-19-21 06:22 PM
The movie but i try to not to becuz I may see a spoiler.
13420910, ole impatient ass LOL
Posted by Damali, Tue Jan-19-21 07:39 PM
on another note, I hope you are doing well..good to see you around these parts. *hugzU*

d

"But rest assured, in my luxurious house built on the backs of people darker than me, I am sipping fine scotch and scoffing at how stupid you are." - bshelly
13420921, Lol and likewise. I come back here and there (and lurk from time to
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Tue Jan-19-21 10:05 PM
Time lol)
13420826, MC Lyte was the woman who kicked them out of the lounge...
Posted by Creole, Tue Jan-19-21 11:48 AM
'You ain't got to go but you got ta get the hell outta here...'
13420842, damn I didn't catch that at ALL.....
Posted by FLUIDJ, Tue Jan-19-21 12:50 PM

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"
13420901, Ooooooooh I do remember that scene didn’t notice it was her. Real bit
Posted by blkprinceMD05, Tue Jan-19-21 06:21 PM
Part. But ok yeah I see it’s her now, sure is, just went back and looked lol