Rom-Com/Traum Reviews (Ranking) #6

Today's theme is conflict resolution: a Jada Pinkett Smith & Larenz Tate double feature

I’ve started fasting, but not from food. The stitches in my mouth have already prevented me from eating enough, so I’m fasting from other things. Like limiting myself to 10 TikToks a day. That might sound crazy, but social media is a slippery slope, and I’m really trying to create more than I consume. I’m already seeing a boost in my productivity. If all goes well, this gets posted at a reasonable time, not 11:59 on a Friday.

So yeah, I’m fasting. I’m also looking for a home church of my own, but I’ve had no luck so far, so I just join live streams from my old church or BK Tabernacle. I keep seeing ads for Epiphany, so I’ll try that livestream next. I might start visiting a new church every Sunday and see what feels right—walk in and say, 'I’m looking for God.'

How does this relate to today's films, you might ask? Funnily enough, the common thread in all the films I watched this week was themes of conflict resolution and the ways in which we balance sacrifice and pride while on the quest for belonging. It reminded me of a sermon my mom’s pastor preached sometime late last year. It also reminded me of this guy I would see on Pitkin Avenue as a kid every Sunday after church, dressed to the nines in a solid-color five-piece suit with a cane.

Every one of these films had one of those explosive conflict/argument moments that led to some sort of cathartic resolution, which also reminded me of the Dido lyrics from 'White Flag': 'If I didn’t say it, then I’d still have felt it, and where’s the sense in that?' A bar. You know, the most beautiful thoughts are always beside the darkest.

So yeah, I unintentionally watched a Larenz Tate & Jada Pinkett Smith double feature this week that spoke to the necessity of fucking shit up to figure shit out. Now that the intro’s out of the way, here’s the spiel:

For those of you who are new, I’ve compiled a list of 178 of the best romcoms, and the plan is to watch all of them and choose my top 50 by the end of the year. I’ll randomly select 3-4 movies to watch and review weekly. Feel free to recommend some from the list or suggest movies you want me to watch first.

Movies that make it to the Top 50 list get a 👍🏾, while the ones that don’t get a 👎🏾 below their review. The place on the list is also decided randomly. At the end of the year, I’ll reevaluate the order if needed. Read more about it here, but for now, here’s what I watched this week:

The Inkwell (1994)

Written by Paris Qualles & Trey Ellis | Directed by Matty Rich

The Inkwell is unexpectedly charming and carries that sweet, nostalgic coming-of-age vibe. It checks off all the classic 90s teen movie tropes—bonfires on the beach, a crush on the “mean” girl, parents navigating relationship issues—and yes, there’s even a school dance scene. It's a cute watch, though a bit long; I think it’s because they tried to weave multiple storylines into a single film. By the halfway point, I’d honestly forgotten the original reason for their trip to Martha’s Vineyard. It's one of those seemingly pointless movies that somehow leaves you feeling good. It's the kind of story that unfolds like something told by an elder.

The moment when Kenny says, “And what about the black folks who weren’t allowed to make it—where’s their Inkwell?” and Spencer responds with “Coney Island,” shhesh. The crowd (me) said wow in surprise and slight admiration for such a well-worded line.

Unrelated sidenote: Morris Chestnut is a vampire- a bald vampire, but nonetheless a vampire. Honestly, they all look like they haven’t aged a bit since the day this was filmed.

Did it make it to the Rom-Com Ranking Top 50 list? 👎🏾

🍿 Letterboxd review 🍿

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How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)

Written by Terry McMillan & Ronald Bass | Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan

I don’t know why this movie was so long—like, damn. This is the one my mom and aunties always referenced when I was a kid. Hell, my mom even named her belt Stella when we’d get licks (don’t be alarmed, we’re Caribbean). The way the aunties, and even my great-grandma, kept things hush-hush made me think this movie would be all grown and sexy, not trauma with a side of romanticized age gap and a young, metrosexual Taye Diggs. The plot was cute, though, and there were moments where I had to laugh out loud, especially Whoopi’s jokes.

Recent films pleasantly surprised me, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark. While it had some heartwarming moments here and there, I wasn’t exactly surprised by it. Honestly, I found it more predictable than anything.

Did it make it to the Rom-Com Ranking Top 50 list? 👎🏾

🍿 Letterboxd review 🍿

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Girls Trip (2017)

Written by Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver | Directed by Malcolm D. Lee

This was way funnier and better than I expected—hmm, maybe I'm just a hater (okay, fine, I know I am). I think part of it is Tiffany Haddish. She scares me with how unfunny she can be, but funny enough, she delivered one of the best lines at the end, about perseverance and resolving conflicts, especially when it’s clear we can't just hop into a time machine and undo things.

The movie was all about reuniting against the odds, sisterhood, and yes, golden showers on Bourbon Street. It was interesting seeing Jada Pinkett Smith and Larenz Tate reconnect on screen. I watched Sex & The City the year before, and honestly, the only thing I remember is Big leaving Carrie in the street—this movie definitely tops that.

Overall, I enjoyed it but wouldn’t call it a “rom-com” as it’s not as focused on romantic love but sisterhood and community.

Did it make it to the Rom-Com Ranking Top 50 list? 👍🏾

🍿 Letterboxd review 🍿

🎥 Up next 🎥: Waiting to Exhale (1995), Maurice (1987), Guava Island (2019)

J