"We're so damn close, feels like six feet away from love, away from us. If I could know what you're feeling, who you're thinking of, that would be enough." - Rainey Qualley
Director: Joanna Johnson
Release Date: August 22nd - August 23rd
Where Available: Hulu/Freeform
Summary:
Four interwoven stories about the search for love and connection during a time of quarantine.
Review:
My dad asked me these questions a few months ago: "Do you think in the near future that Hollywood is going to have more COVID inspired productions or are they just going to skip this period of time in film making? Do you think viewers are going to want to watch movies and shows with COVID in their plots, or would they rather forget this part of their lives and watch entertainment that doesn't remind them of it?" My answer fluctuated the more I thought about it because I didn't know if I wanted to see entertainment that reflected this really horrible period of time or if that was something that needed to be shown in a different light.
There are multiple productions that have started filming again, with safety protocols in place of course: The Bachelorette, Love Island, The Witcher, S.W.A.T., Big Brother, The Avatar Sequels, Jurassic Park, and a few others. These have all resumed production as if nothing happened. Now, I am assuming that The Bachelorette and Love Island will both frequently be mentioning how COVID changed each participants life, since it is a reality TV show, but that is exactly what I don't want to see. The whole world already knows that COVID has drastically changed all of our lives, and that is something I don't want to see be regurgitated in front of me every week. When it came to Love in the Time of Corona, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the show wasn't about the coronavirus, but about love and relationships and how important it is to spend time together with the people you love.
The only other show that I have heard about continuing production during the pandemic was a CBS drama called All Rise. The episode was a zoom call. The actors were sent camera equipment to film, moved their own props and scenery around, and did their own costuming and makeup to. They acted as their own crew. I haven't heard to many great things about this episode, but it is something that I wanted to mention in this review because of how similar the technical side of it is to Love in the Time of Corona.
Love in the Time of Corona follows the lives of four groups that are all adjusting to their new quarantined lives in Los Angeles. Married couple James and Sadie - played by already married couple Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson - rarely spend any time together because of James and his busy work schedule. That is until now. Married couple Gill Bellows and Rya Kihlstedt play the divorced characters of Paul and Sarah, who are trying their very best to keep their divorce a secret from their daughter Sophie (Ava Bellows) who is quarantining with them. James' mother Nanda, played by L. Scott Caldwell, is trying to plan her 50th anniversary party while her husband is at a rehab facility with no signs of coming home soon. Oscar (Tommy Dorfman) and Elle (Rainey Qualley) are roommates trying their best at virtual dating even though there seems to be some sexual tension between them.
This entire show was written, casted, designed, and produced in just a few months. The cast is made up of actors who were already quarantining together. That is where we get our four separate stories, with a few extra actors included on zoom calls and scenes while social distancing. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to comply with all of the social distancing guidelines while trying to make a a full 4 episodes. Since the cast is made up of people already in quarantine, the setting for the show had to be in the houses of those actors. Every actor wore a mask except when they were shooting, and everything was constantly sanitized. They used their own furniture, props, and clothing to create their characters. This is one thing I really loved about the show because the actors were so comfortable in their own homes, which made everything fluid and realistic. The crew members were always outside, separated by 10 feet and each in their own tents. Director Joanna Johnson was positioned in a van outside each home, communicating with the cast members via walkie talkie. The DP (Director of Photography) controlled the cameras from outside the homes as well. Nicolette's sister even slated for scenes, positioning the camera's where Johnson asked. It is completely amazing to me that everything came together in the end. There was so much hard work and determination that went into Love in the Time of Corona that I can't help but appreciate it. Even though most of the plot is simple and there is nothing extremely unique or experimental about the cinematography, the fact that they did it while this pandemic was happening is so spectacular. There wasn't a moment where I didn't love what I was seeing in front of me.
The only story I really want to go into detail about, as to not spoil the rest of the show, is the relationship between James and Sade. James has a busy work schedule and is never home to spend time with Sade or his daughter. Now that Corona has struck, James is homebound like the rest of us. The main topic in their story is if this is the right time to have another kid, since they will likely be quarantine for a long time. Sade is all for having another child, and tells all her friends way too early that her and James are trying for another kid. James on the other hand, not so much. Interweaved into their story is some news articles from the Black Lives Matter movement, which changes James' opinion on having another kid. At the moment, he doesn't think current social climate is what's best for a new child. We see how their opposing decisions change the atmosphere of their life in isolation. I can't be a theatre nerd and not be a fan of Leslie Odom Jr. We all know him from the extremely popular musical Hamilton where he played Aaron Burr. Nicolette Robinson was also on Broadway as Jenna in Waitress. Their chemistry obviously translates onscreen as they are married in real life. I just loved this story line because it's so simple but also something I think long time couples will be able to relate too, especially from the beginning of quarantine.
There is only one negative comment I am going to make in this review because overall, I loved this show just based on the fact of how it was created. People write shows and movies about specific time periods after that period of time has passed. This way, they know the entire context of what happened so that the story is more realistic and well rounded. Since we are sill in this corona phase of life, and this show is about the first few months of quarantine, it doesn't hit every emotion we are feeling because we aren't all the way through it yet. I didn't feel this way at all watching the show, and only noticed after I took a deeper look.
If you have Hulu and 2 hours of the day to spare, I 100% recommend Love in the Time of Corona. It's not a life changing piece of television, but it will make you feel happy, sad, giggly, heartbroken, lucky, and loved. It is something that everyone right now can relate too, even if you aren't in a relationship. We are going to be hearing about the coronavirus for the rest of our lives, and I think this show almost acts as a time capsule for the years in the future where we want to look back and see the good that was going around.
Rainey Qualley actually wrote a song the day before shooting in her basement for the shows soundtrack. It's called "6ft from Love" and is actually a really great song. Go give it a listen when you can!!!
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