The “exceptional” romantic comedy Ryan Coogler thinks is the “perfect movie”
What’s most impressive about Ryan Coogler’s career thus far is that he’s managed to make films in wildly different genres and found success in them all, so while he might be coming off the success of a vampire action thriller, that doesn’t mean that he lacks an affinity for romantic comedies.
Ever since Robert Redford took notice of his work on the independent drama Fruitvale Station, it was clear that Coogler was destined for great things. Where many young filmmakers would choose to stick within their lanes and work within the same genre, he succeeded in making a riveting biopic with Fruitvale Station, an instant classic sports drama with Creed, a popular superhero film with Black Panther, and a period-set horror thriller with Sinners.
Coogler’s versatility should make it no surprise that he also has a place in his heart for romantic comedies, even if the genre is sometimes frowned upon by those who take themselves too seriously, and in his visit to the Criterion Closet, the filmmaker praised the “exceptional” rom-com Love Jones, which he described as a “perfect movie”.
Released in 1997, Love Jones was one of the rare mainstream rom-coms that celebrated the experience of African-Americans and featured an all-Black cast, making for a far deeper and emotional film than the generic fare that would emerge in the next decade, particularly due to the excellent chemistry between Nia Long and Larenz Tate, with the former, an accomplished poet, contributing some of her own work to the film.
Although Coogler wouldn’t be the first name that comes to mind when thinking about potential rom-com directors, he’s been able to add worthwhile romantic storylines into nearly all of his films, with Creed, in particular, benefiting from the excellent chemistry between Michael B Jordan and Tessa Thompson, which mirrored the similar dynamic between Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire in the original Rocky.
While a majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films have been lambasted for their forgettable romantic subplots, the genuine romantic attraction captured by Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong’o in the original Black Panther was certainly one of the franchise’s better examples.
Coogler has also been adamant about speaking up on behalf of underrepresented filmmakers within the Black community, many of whom didn’t have the chance to earn recognition in their time. While Love Jones is regarded as a classic of the genre, it was sadly the only film that Theodore Witcher ever made, and even though he wrote the crime thriller Body Count, which starred Ving Rhames and was released the following year, he never had the opportunity to return to the director’s chair.
It may have been a result of the fact that Love Jones was a financial disappointment (despite earning rave reviews), but there are more than a few white directors who were given second chances after they made films that flopped.
Whether Coogler would ever make his own rom-com is an interesting question when considering that his next few career moves seem to be already set, which will see him return to make a culminating chapter in the Black Panther trilogy, rumoured to feature Denzel Washington in a central role, and he’s also working on a highly secretive reboot of The X-Files. It’s safe to say that the director has a long career ahead of him and will have many more opportunities, so his version of the rom-com might be something to look out for.
