ThiefHott Too much of everything

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

tiffnee428 I was so disturbed by this film. Why was it even made? As an African American woman, we often hear "support our own". Well I find it a hard slap cross the face when I do and this is what's delivered. An uncle takes his young nephew out into the world, and this poor child is exposed to the street life. The acting was good so this film was believable. The biggest problem was that not one adult in the film had a problem exposing this young kid. I'm still trying to figure out, who was that target audience. My son who is 9 yrs old, was so afraid of the violence that he asked me to turn it off. That's what's wrong with our youth today, exposed to too much violence. I kept hoping that I could find some sort of message but sadly it ended. I pray that the producers of this film go back to the table and put out some positive material because with the wonderful cast they had in this movie, they certainly have the resources.

jsrnorris Shopping at Target and I notice this movie. I thought my husband and I would be able to enjoy a good movie one Saturday night. Boy was I so wrong. The movie had a lot of components but never made all the connection. The movie look like it started in the middle, really no beginning. I think a little more time writing and putting the pieces together would have made it a good movie. It never really gave a good foundation into Vincent. They had a lot of good actors which was very surprising they signed up for something like this. I wish I could get my money back for the movie. I would not recommend this movie and would hope they writer much success in the future.

Emma Dinkins The star power in this film immediately captured my attention. Scene upon scene brought a new recognizable well established actor on screen, which is so atypical when viewing Indie films. The film LUV is a fictionalized account of actual events that occurred in the writer director Sheldon Candis' life as he spent time with his uncle. I was fortunate in that the viewing of this film was a film festival DIFF 2012 at which Mr. Candis was in attendance and could provide some insight into how the story evolved, and his adventures in casting. I was very impressed with the screen presence of Woody (Michael Rainey Jr.), who coincidentally was similar enough in appearance that he could have been a child Sheldon. Ninety-five percent of the story takes place in the span of one 'training day', where Woody accompanies his Uncle Vincent (Common) as he conducts a day of business. The first thing that struck me as odd was the upscale automobile that Vincent was driving, and I immediately took some leaps and bounds to conclusions, oh and I jumped too. My assumptions turned out to be correct as the day progresses it evident that the lessons that are imparted onto young Woody will inevitably lead to a loss of innocence. The story was relatable because although the setting is Baltimore which I have never visited, the harsh reality of a relative passing down their knowledge is not always a legitimate vocation or trade. I was not surprised at how quickly Woody caught on to what was happening with Vincent's encounters, in some cases his realization was slightly out of sync with mine. My hoping that no harm would come to young Woody kept the level of intensity in this film high, because I knew how easily situation after situation could have gone wrong. I was completely emotionally invested in this film from the moment that Woody and Vincent began their day together. As more and more of Vincent's past became apparent so did the fact that Woody should be nowhere in the vicinity of this guy. There could have been a bit more character development for the roles played by Charles Dutton (Cofield), Danny Glover(Arthur), and Dennis Haysbert(Fish) and the ladies in the film Lonette McGee (Grandma Beanie)and Meagan Goode were little more than just fleeting images, but this was a good film none the less. I am in love with LUV and give it a green light.

Catt Jones I want start out by saying that one of the things that I love about going to film festivals is that there are no trailers and you are really not sure what to expect when viewing a film. When it came to Luv, I was looking forward to seeing it because there was a lot of "star" power contributions involved. It made me realize that there are actors that are out there doing it for the money and then there are actors who are truly craftsmen, who do it for the art of performing. I am in awe of director Sheldon Candis for assembling such a powerhouse cast including Danny Glover, Dennis Haysbert, Charles S. Dutton and Lonette McKee. The film illustrated the relationship between Woody (Michael Rainey Jr.) and his uncle Vincent (Common) and takes the audience through one day in their lives. The film does a formidable job in demonstrating that no matter what you do or how much you may want to change, the past always has a way of catching up with you. The last time that I saw Common acting in a film was when he played Scott McKnight opposite Queen Latifah in Just Wright. I have to say that over the course of time and in the many films that Common has been in, his acting skills are improving as he diversifies his roles. Also, I have to give him props because he got involved in this independent film, so he obviously loves acting (maybe more than singing). The director stated that these actors basically did the job for a buck and a turkey sandwich (smile). Michael Rainey Jr. was brilliant as the thirteen year old nephew enlisted in tagging along with his uncle through the realities of a hard life in an urban environment. The youngster quickly learns that sometimes you have to do unconventional things in order to make it through life and that relationships have a way of changing over time. Woody eventually changes from a shy, studious and reluctant kid into a self-assured, confident young adult. All the lessons that Woody learns are not pleasant ones, but are necessary for life in the streets of Baltimore (or anywhere else for that matter). I think that this film is definitely worth seeing and may even give some young adults a much needed reality check. I am giving this film a green light.