Black Coffee

Just caught the movie Black Coffee on BET tonight. I wasn't familiar with the director (Mark Harris) nor the two lead actors, and I have to admit my expectations were not high, as a matter of fact, the only thing I was expecting was to be changing the channel after about fifteen minutes. Well, let me just say, that as the final credits rolled by, I found myself having been pleasantly entertained.

First, let me give you a synopsis of the film; Robert (the charming Darrin Dewitt Henson) is having a bad day. First he gets fired from the company his father started, by Nate (Josh Ventura), the man he brought in to resurrect the business. The cloudy day continues when Robert arrives at home only to find his gorgeous but vapid girlfriend of two years Mita (Erica Hubbard of BET's Let's Stay Together) is leaving him for another man. Robert's luck doesn't get any better when he later finds out that the man Mita is leaving him for, is none other than Nate. At his lowest ebb, no job, no woman, betrayed, Robert has a quick encounter with a beautiful woman named Morgan (the enticing Gabrielle Dennis) at his local bookstore. With a little push from his hustler cousin Julian (Christian Keyes), Robert arranges to meet Morgan, and after some initial hesitation, Morgan soon finds herself as attracted to Robert as he is to her.

From this point, the film turns into a romantic comedy with Robert and Morgan going through the usual motions of falling in love, with several potholes in the road as expected. Where this movie falls short is in its ability to build up emotional conflict and drama. For example, one of those potholes the couple encounters is Morgan's ex- husband Hill (the versatile Lamman Rucker) who, unable to keep his wife from leaving, refuses to release a million dollar property to her unless she keeps away from other men. This, and Mita's attempt to come back into Robert's life should have provided ample conflict, but unfortunately, become merely a soft sub-plot. Now please understand me, I was not looking for Tyler Perry crack mama, sadistic husband, drag queen crazy aunts, type drama. What this film lacked were the stair steps that make us invest in the characters, and reveal how deep or shallow their love is.

That being said, where Black Coffee does work is in its funny, witty dialog, charismatic, lovable characters, and an attractive cast, that makes this movie a pleasure to watch. Henson as Robert shows great chops as a leading man, and if this performance is any indication, he should be showing up in more films. Keyes as hustling, wise- cracking Julian steals the scenes he is in and Hubbard's Mita takes a role which could have been annoying but adds just the amount of sass to make her believable. The star of the movie for me is Dennis, who blends a mixture of sophistication and sexiness to her role that rivals any of the A-List girls such as Halle Berry or Kerry Washington.

Director Mark Harris pulls everything together smoothly; reining in his actors so that there is no Perry-ish moments of over-acting, and allowing the movie to glide along at a steady, if not spectacular pace. Adam Lee's cinematography is as smooth and mellow as Harris' direction, allowing the actor's charm and attractiveness to be the film's finest special effect. While you're not going to be taken on the head-spinning roller coaster ride of most of today's romantic-comedies, just like Black Coffee, the film will stimulate and satisfy.

In this cute, little independent film, Darren Henson stars as Robert, an all around nice guy and painter who just got fired from his job.He soon gets dumped by his girlfriend, the clueless, gold digging Mita (Erica Hubbard), who leaves him for his boss. Robert is then convinced by his cousin Julian played by the gorgeous and very charming Christian Keyes to help him distribute coffee. The magic begins when he visits a book store and encounters the lovely Morgan (Gabrielle Dennis), a beautiful attorney who he falls for at first sight.

For starters, Darren Henson and Gabrielle Dennis give good performances and have great chemistry. Their budding romance is endearing and they are truly a joy to watch. In addition, the sudden romance between Hill and Mita is charming and adorable. Opposites attract as Hill brings Mita down to earth while Mita helps Hill to open up more and have fun. Although they're cute together, it would've been nice to see Mita reach a level of independence on her own without being romantically linked to anyone.

Although nothing new to the screen, "Black Coffee" is a good movie to watch. If you're in the mood for some decent acting and some cute romance, rent "Black Coffee". You won't be disappointed.

I rated this movie based on entertainment and the message it conveyed.

Me and my wife watched the movie and enjoyed it. It was hard for the first 20 or so minutes due to the dialogue and scenes. Movies I can't relate to are hard for me to watch. But the message was clear to me what the writer wanted to bring to the audience. With that being said, this movie is for everyone. Also there is a scene at the bookstore where they had the book 'The Law of Attraction' in the background positioned purposely for the audience to see (knowledge rule of thirds).

Knowing a little about film I can understand the critics in regards to the flow of the movie and lack of continuity. But I feel that is due to watching the film rather than watching the film so to say. This is a common habit of those who study all aspects of art of film.

All in all 8 out of 10! A must watch for everyone. It demonstrates what we need more of, positive black films.

Director, Mark Harris has taken another leap forward in his career with this latest addition of "Black Coffee."

The delicate balance of black relationships is hard to capture in an authentic and heart felt way for most filmmakers, but Mark's command of subtle nuance pulls it off brilliantly here. I am particularly impressed with the way the storyline remains entertaining and sexy without ever going "raunchy". I appreciate Marks level of sophistication and taste.

Black Coffee is a great relationship film for anyone of any background and especially those brothers and sisters in the world looking for love today. Great insights into the minds of men and women.

A must rent for date night.

A great date movie, Darren Dewitt Henson and Gabrielle Dennis have undeniable chemistry in this light romantic comedy. Christian Keys and Erica Hubbard provide the laughs. I saw this at the first matinée showing in Alexandria, VA and there were a lot of laughs in the theater. This indie is set in LA. With cinematography by Adam Lee, Black Coffee has a glossy and finished look. All the actors look beautiful and director Mark Harris's earnest message of black professionalism and empowerment is a refreshing change from the stereotypes of African-Americans all to frequently seen on film. Currently in limited release, in Chicago, D.C., Baltimore and Atlanta, it deserves a wider release. Go, you will be glad you did.