It’s been 20 years since director’ Sidra Smith’s debut film A Luv Tale played the Film Festival circuit and picked up a couple of Audience Awards. Now she is back with a 6 part web series of the same name that picks up where she left off with the story of the lives of a group of queer African/American women in their search for love and happiness.
With a script written by Smith and a cast led by Vanessa Williams, these short episodes follow the four women as they manoeuvre the after-effects of their past failing/failed romances as they look for love again.
Young budding photographer Taylor (Sheria Irving) picks up an older women in a Bar who refuses to give a name which is the first clue there is melodrama ahead. The woman, her name is Cassie. (Vanessa Williams) turns out not only to be married to a man, but the mother of Jake (Rotimi) who is Taylor’s friend and who has his own ideas about sleeping with her
This storyline is typical of the rest that follow and although it is set in Harlem, it is actually turns out to be a very small world as all the women in A Luv Tale have a connection with each other.
This all makes for pleasant first-date viewing as everyone is extremely attractive and they just coast along with this predictable romance which is very easy on both the eye and brain. The producers would like us to think the whole thing is like a black queer Sex In The City, but that’s just wishful thinking especially as they never go clothes shopping once.