She's Gotta Have It was Spike Lee's breakout film, and tells the story of
a successful middle class black woman who does ad paste-up for a
living, and has three lovers, all of whom know about each other. First, there is Jaimie (Tommy Redmond Hicks) a serious and caring
man who believes she is his soul mate. Number two is Greer (John Canada
Terrell) an upscale Manhattan model, narcissist, and "oreo cookie" (black on the
outside, white on the inside). Finally, there is Mars (Spike Lee) who is
funny, street smart, quick-talking, but hard-core unemployable. Each serves a
different need for her, and perhaps the combination is her perfect man, but the
guys are not content to share her.
She also has a lesbian friend who would like to become lover #4. At one
point she sees a shrink to find out whether she is a sex addict.
It is in luminous black and white, and is a very fast watch. I found the film very accessible, and enjoyed most of the
characters, especially Spike Lee, who really has a great deal of comic ability in front of the
camera, and Tracy Camilla Johns, who has a dynamic and sexy presence.
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If you are not familiar with our grading system, you need to
read the
explanation, because the grading is not linear. For example, by
our definition, a
C is solid and a C+ is a VERY good movie. There are very few Bs
and As. Based on our descriptive system, this film is a:
