Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess
Black Love and Cinema isn’t your typical movie review podcast. We’re a Christian newlywed couple in our 40s, navigating love with honesty, grit, and a commitment to intentional growth. Manny’s been divorced twice. Jess had a child as a teenager and lived a life many Christians might side-eye. But together, we’ve found a way to honor our faith and grow in love while owning our messy, complicated stories. Here, we break down love and relationships through the lens of our favorite movies, using our faith and life experiences to share what we hope is helpful relationship advice.
Episodes
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Ryan Coogler’s 2025 gothic-horror drama Sinners drags us into a sweltering 1932 Mississippi, where a sanctified church and a pulsating juke joint battle for Black souls—and bodies. In this episode of Black Love & Cinema, we unpack how the film’s lush cinematography, blues-soaked score and unapologetic erotics expose the tightrope Black Americans have long walked between respectability and freedom.
If you are listening on Spo...
Welcome to Black Love and Cinema with Manny and Jess! This week, we're delving into the iconic 2000 film, Love & Basketball, starring Sanaa Lathan as Monica Wright and Omar Epps as Quincy "Q" McCall. Beyond being a sports romance, this narrative thoughtfully explores the intricate balance between friendship, romantic love, and the journey of personal growth.
Our interest in the film was sparked by its complex portrayal of friend...
In Part 2 of our deep dive into Chris Rock’s 2007 film, I Think I Love My Wife, we unpack how Richard and Brenda begin to repair their fractured marriage. From Richard’s journey of taking accountability and cutting off temptation, to Brenda’s emotional re-engagement, we explore how both partners learn to choose each other, intentionally and imperfectly.This episode highlights powerful relationship lessons, including:The danger of e...
Manny and Jess use the 2007 Chris Rock film "I Think I Love My Wife" to discuss temptation in marriage and how outsiders can infiltrate a relationship.In this episode, we highlight how The Coopers' marriage (as portrayed by Chris Rock and Gina Torres) was vulnerable to the temptation of the beautiful and charming seductress Nikki Tru, played by Kerri Washington.Watch Part 2, where we will discuss how to manage marital...
Breakups, bad decisions, and the last chicken wing—The Brothers (2001) is packed with relationship lessons! We dive into commitment-phobia, toxic exes, sexless marriages, and dating people you don’t even like. In this episode, Manny and Jess discuss what the movie gets right (and wrong) about love. From bachelor party chaos to BeBe’s wedding gown shootout, we break it all down. Tune in for real talk, laughs, and takeaways to help y...
In our first episode, we share the hilarious and chaotic story of Manny’s proposal—a moment neither of us will ever forget. Spoiler alert: Jess said no… three times. But don’t worry, there’s a happy ending! From nerves to unexpected surprises, this proposal didn’t exactly go as Manny planned, but it turned into a perfect reflection of our love—authentic, messy, and full of laughter. Tune in to hear how we got from “no” to “yes” and...
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