In the second entry of Steve McQueen’s made for TV series of films titled Small Axe, Lovers Rock (2020) follows a single evening at a house party in 1980s West London, developing intertwined relationships against a background of violence, romance and music. McQueen’s Small Axe series focuses on the lives of Black immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s, and each entry tells a unique story from a varied perspective, and Lovers Rock is the most unique of the group, foregoing the true story/biopic structure and instead focusing on presenting an authentic house party for the specific time and culture.
Lovers Rock is very light on story, plot and mostly light on character development too, and this is a very specific choice, so if you know that is a key part of every film for you, then this is not the one for you. However, the reason that the film is able to succeed without that is because of the incredible aura and feeling it creates, making you instantly feel transported to the time and the house itself, and as though you are living out the night alongside the characters. The house feels lived in, as though you can almost smell the cooking and the sweat, as though you can almost touch the drinks and the people, it is a completely unique experience.
The cast don’t have deep emotional arcs to explore, but they do need to feel authentic and have an electric chemistry, and they certainly deliver on that front. Both Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn and Micheal Ward are really engaging presences on screen, and they particularly shine when they are flirting together, and its very evident they both have big futures.
The film does have some dark and challenging moments that it doesn’t shy away from, and raises awareness of the dangers and prejudices that follow people from minority groups everywhere they go, but in general, this is the most positive and light of the Small Axe series, and is a real expression of Black Joy. The film is a mesmerising romance, not just between the characters but between human bodies, between the soul and music, and between culture.
The music throughout the film brings to life what we are seeing on screen, and no sequence is a better example of this than the ‘Silly Games’ scene, where the entire group descend on the living room to dance while Silly Games plays. It is quite simply the most sensual thing put on film in the past year, dripping in sweat, lust and possibility, and it feels like a genuine crime that it was shown to us during a pandemic where you are unable to see anyone in person, never mind experience this sort of intimacy.
Steve McQueen proves yet again what a tour-de-force talent he is, and here he shows even more of the range that he has for capturing the human experience, and specifically the Black experience, in all its complexities. We are truly blessed to have him.
Rating = 4/5
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