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Boy has girl, boy loses girl, boy wants girl again. And vice-versa. It's been a Hollywood staple since Billy Dee wooed Diana Ross and Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert tore down the walls of Jericho. But the love story remains a staple worth seeing when the dialogue has wit and zing, when the characters are likable and well-rounded, and when the setting is offbeat and original. All About You qualifies. An amiable first film from writer-director Christine Swanson.
As a director, Swanson combines rich dark shadows and a glossy style to heighten the romantic feeling. A sensual score that includes music from Terron Brooks, Cherelle, and the great S.O.S. Band also helps. The film's most obvious claim to distinction, though, is the young, creative, upscale black world in which it's set. Though African American-oriented features have become prevalent, too often they're gritty dramas or irreverent comedies, telling violent, foul-mouthed tales of nothing in the hoods of New York or Los Angeles. All About You is a rare treat. |
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- The Movie Guru |
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| Two People (Renee Goldsberry & Terron Brooks) run from the pain of their broken pasts. In an effort to forget, they work in a San Francisco restaurant where they meet and find that you can't run from love when its meant to find you. That is the premise of All About You, a much needed love story that African American audiences ought to enjoy. Wife-husband team Christine (director) and Michael (producer) Swanson prove to be capable filmmakers. They know how to tell a story and how to shoot it. There is beautiful scenery that gives the Bay area a new look beyond the Dirty Harry series. Another wise move was casting two unknowns in the title roles and surrounding them with an eclectic cast of well-knowns (LisaRaye, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lou Myers, Chris Spencer, Rockmond Dunbar, Tico Wells and Debbie Allen). Goldsberry is a beautiful talent that the camera loves while Brooks is a talented actor AND singer whose name you should look for in the future. All About You is a refreshing breath of fresh air. No gangsters, no ho's, no poor people. A love story about middle-class African Americans suffering from the same relationship problems all people have. |
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- Rance E. Huff, Black Reign News |
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| All About You is a well-crafted, beautifully shot and ultimately satisfying film. It delivers on its promises, showing African-American people in a way that so many of us have longed to see ourselves. Add Debbie Allen, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Lou Myers (remember Mr. Gaines from "A Different World"?), who provide colorful performances, and All About You becomes a trip well worth taking. |
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- Carla Robinson, Mosaec.com |
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| A refreshing breath of clean air. It was truly wonderful to view such a high quality well written and produced piece of film work. It has been a long time since I laughed out loudly during a film. Excellent work. |
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- Donna Watts |
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| One of my girlfriends emailed me about All About You. We decided to go at the last moment. I was so excited. There were ten of us that came out, and the film was just awesome. I would recommend it to A-N-Y-B-O-D-Y. Come see this movie, it's great! |
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-Tammie McClenden |
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| A positive, realistic, sweet, clean depiction of romance and love between Black folk with a little humor sprinkled in! Go see All About You...take somebody, send somebody, go see it again. This is a family movie...take all the children and the grandmas and gramps too! All About You is really worthy of OUR support and the word needs to be spread! (the soundtrack is a winner, too!) |
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- Crystal Stevenson |
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| "You have to leave room for the surprises," young sometimes law student Nicole (Renee Goldsberry) is advised by her new love interest, singer Brian (Terron Brooks). For the smart but vulnerable San Francisco resident, however, that's easier said than done: Nikki, as she's known, has just broken off her relationship with Brian's estranged brother Robbie (Adam Lazarre-White), and neither man knows of her past with the other. Plus she's barely keeping her server's job at a club run by grouchy taskmaster Toomie (Lou Myers). Plus her roommate Lisa (LisaRaye) has set things up so that Brian's subletting her part of Nikki's apartment. Plus she just can't seem to quit smoking once and for all...Deftly mixing defiantly old-fashioned romantic story elements with a fresh new perspective on family and relationships, this unpredictable and enjoyable directing debut from NYU grad Christine Swanson, strewn with potential R&B hits (many penned by Goldsberry and sung by Brooks), is a surprise worth leaving room on anyone's screening schedule. |
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- Variety's Eddie Cockrell |
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| I really enjoyed the movie All About You and the CD. It was so refreshing to see a black movie with no profanity or sex. It's nice when a movie makes you think it might happen to you and have you smiling for days after! Keep up the good work and thanks for being so down to earth and approachable in Chicago. |
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- Leslie Edwards |
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| All About You-A syrupy sweet love tale that’s long on romance and (thankfully) short on gratuitous flesh. All About You revolves around two emotionally-scarred buppies who find happiness in spite of themselves. The film not only features a fine cast of fresh new faces, it also spotlights the heartwarming tunes of lead actor Terron Brooks. |
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- Ramona Prioleau, Mosaec.com |
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| Refreshing! I have been so disappointed with movies lately and All About You was so enjoyable. My boyfriend really enjoyed it as well. Your quality of movies will make me start going to the movies on a regular basis! I look forward to seeing more of your work. |
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- Prezetta Smith |
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| All About You is an excellent story of the joys and pains of black love. Thank you for telling our story so eloquently on the silver screen. |
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- Kyra M. Robinson |
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