this is one of the better coming of age indies I have seen lately. it made me laugh and cry and afraid. Common is a powerhouse in the film, he's so commanding - not easy to do when acting opposite Dennis Haysbert (Mr. President/Snake Doctor himself).and the boy, oh this little boy, Mr. Michael Rainey Jr. I doubt we will see the last of this amazing young thespian.i highly recommend this film for a bitter taste of growing up in B-more. and of course we get to see cameo appearances by the great Charles S. Dutton - a strong advocate for Baltimore filming - as well as Danny Glover. popcornmoviemaiden.blogspot.com

If you take off your in-denial, self-righteous moral lens about a black movie actually shedding light on some of the problems that exist in black America and the extent of diffusion of the drug trade into black communities (even amongst the apparently upper-income, well-respected entrepreneurial and educated class), you will realize that this was simply a brilliant movie.The story-line was engaging and paced just right. The casting was sublime and the actors were excellent, completely immersed in their various roles, and the moral of the story--that in the complexities of the social ills our society has imposed upon us, and particularly on black males, there are still jewels of goodness, and valid learning opportunities that help us grow, that can still grow young boys into good men. That good black men can emerge who choose right paths, despite the fact that segregation in the North and South path-dependently constrained opportunities for their male predecessors, and that family is our bond.What a brilliant movie. Much better than those complex Woody Allen movies about much less substantive issues that get lauded with awards and good reviews.Don't believe the biased, negative reviews. This is one of the best movies you will ever see. I promise.

This movie blew me away. LUV was a really heavy movie that showed us how hard it is to be a kid without parents, growing up in a place like that. Throughout the whole movie i just couldn't help but feel so sorry for the kid, and i actually think that the actor really did the character well. I've seen a lot of bad reviews about the movie, and i personally think that's just critics looking at a from a very stupid perspective. I find it really hard to hate a movie like this, one that really makes you feel sorry for a kid in a situation like this. Both the main actors in this performed there parts perfectly i must add, i loved them both! Proof of how much i was amazed by this film, is that this is the first review of anything I've ever wrote. If this doesn't get any insane awards, it needs to be classified as one of the most underrated movies of 2013! 10/10 - amazing.

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.