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IMDbPro

LUV

  • 20122012
  • RR
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
LUV (2012)
Over the course of one day, a shy 11-year-old forms a bond with his troubled uncle.
Play trailer2:33
2 Videos
22 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
An 11-year-old boy gets a crash course in what it means to be a man when he spends a day with the ex-convict uncle he idolizes.An 11-year-old boy gets a crash course in what it means to be a man when he spends a day with the ex-convict uncle he idolizes.An 11-year-old boy gets a crash course in what it means to be a man when he spends a day with the ex-convict uncle he idolizes.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Sheldon Candis
  • Writers
    • Sheldon Candis(screenplay)
    • Justin Wilson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Common
    • Michael Rainey Jr.
    • Dennis Haysbert
Top credits
  • Director
    • Sheldon Candis
  • Writers
    • Sheldon Candis(screenplay)
    • Justin Wilson(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Common
    • Michael Rainey Jr.
    • Dennis Haysbert
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 15User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
    • 52Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos2

    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:33
    Theatrical Version
    LUV
    Trailer 2:31
    LUV

    Photos22

    Charles S. Dutton and Common in LUV (2012)
    Michael Kenneth Williams and Common in LUV (2012)
    Common in LUV (2012)
    Dennis Haysbert in LUV (2012)
    Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Common and Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Common and Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Common and Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Common and Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)
    Sheldon Candis in LUV (2012)
    Michael Rainey Jr. in LUV (2012)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Common
    Common
    • Vincent
    Michael Rainey Jr.
    Michael Rainey Jr.
    • Woody
    Dennis Haysbert
    Dennis Haysbert
    • Mr. Fish
    Danny Glover
    Danny Glover
    • Arthur
    Tracey Heggins
    • Leslie
    Lonette McKee
    Lonette McKee
    • Grandma Beanie
    Grover Coulson
    Grover Coulson
    • Cosmo
    Charles S. Dutton
    Charles S. Dutton
    • Cofield
    Joseph 'Joey Boy' Soremekun
    • Kink
    Clark Johnson
    Clark Johnson
    • Harold Barnes
    Malcolm C. Berman
    • Walt Bernstein
    Robin Frisby
    • Receptionist
    Cyrus Jones
    • Dunbar Head Coach
    Michael Finley
    • Dunbar Assistant Coach
    Brandon Jennings
    • B.J.
    Hayward Armstrong
    • Lil Baby
    Sean Banks
    • Rudy Bond
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    Michael Kenneth Williams
    • Detective Holloway
    • Director
      • Sheldon Candis
    • Writers
      • Sheldon Candis(screenplay)
      • Justin Wilson(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Common says Tupac was the greatest rapper, it's a little known fact that Tupac use to live in Baltimore, the town in which this movie is filmed.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Mask You Live In (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      Here We Are
      Written and Produced by Blaqstarr, Starlight Universal Publishing (ASCAP)

      Co-Written and Co-Produced by Nicholas Ruth, Rip Ruth (ASCAP)

      Lyrics by Blaqstarr

      Performed by Blaqstarr for Starr Productions, LLC

      Courtesy of N.E.E.T./Interscope Records

    User reviews15

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    uneven film with a star-making performance by Michael Rainey, Jr.
    Artfully directed by Sheldon Candis," LUV" is a compelling, low-budget tale of Vincent, a recently released convict who takes his young nephew, Woody, on a day-long excursion through Baltimore to give him lessons on how to survive in the urban jungle that is his home (Woody's mother lives in North Carolina while his grandmother is currently raising him in Maryland). This includes, among other things, teaching him how to drive and how to shoot a gun. But the main focus is on Vincent's attempts to go straight and to secure a loan for a restaurant he wants to open. But the young man soon discovers that it isn't all that easy to cut the ties with one's criminal past, and Woody bears witness to some pretty horrendous events throughout the course of the day.

    Taken as a whole, "LUV" is considerably less than the sum of its parts. The screenplay by Candis feels strangely doughy and underdeveloped, often leaving us bewildered as to what exactly Vincent is up to and who it is he's interacting with at any given moment. That being said, "LUV" manages to hold our interest due to the immediacy of its style and the naturalism of its performances. Common makes us care about Vincent; we see him as an ambitious young man who, despite his natural inclination towards crime - an inclination obviously resulting from the difficult circumstances in which he was raised - appears to be genuinely trying to turn his life around. That the world and his past seem to be conspiring against him is what makes the tale so poignant. Vincent may not be the perfect role model for his young nephew, but he is probably the best the boy is going to have for the foreseeable future.

    But it is young Michael Rainey, Jr., in a star-making performance as Woody, who walks off with the film. Even at the tender young age of eleven, Rainey is already a natural in front of the camera and it is his wholly believable reactions to what is taking place around him that strike a responsive chord in the viewer. Indeed, we are willing to go on this structurally awkward and artistically uneven journey simply for the privilege of reveling in his performance. Rainey, in essence, becomes the thread holding all these seemingly random and arbitrary events together. One looks forward to great things from him in the future.
    helpful•7
    3
    • Buddy-51
    • Jun 27, 2013

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 1, 2015 (Belgium)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Урок от дяди Винсента
    • Filming locations
      • USA
    • Production companies
      • LUV Films 5
      • Gordon Bijelonic / Datari Turner Films
      • Hollywood Studios
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $156,996
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $83,194
      • Jan 20, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $156,996
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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