Hello and welcome back to another edition of movies or TV reviews by yours truly. If you like the conversation don’t hesitate to like and leave a comment. Now this week’s film was rather disappointing and I wasn’t sure what to make of this clusterfuck. As you know I’m a sucker for a good romance- an interracial one no less, but I was quickly disappointed 30 mins in. It felt clunky as there were some scenes I felt didn’t serve a purpose as a whole. I wasn’t quite sure what the purpose of this film was, but here we are. The film is no other than Black Tea.

The story begins in the Ivory Coast during Aya and Mr Toussaint’s wedding. The unhappy couple were already having issues in their relationship, but they chose to proceed with the nuptials. Fortunately or unfortunately, Aya wisely chose to leave Toussaint at the altar and emigrate to Guangzhou or Canton as Cai refers to it. Cai is the 45-year-old MARRIED man she is now involved with. There are heavy overtones of racism as the locals refer to their little corner of the world as Chocolate City.

Cai or Aya’s lover, is the owner of a tea shop where he instructs her in the ways of the tea ceremony. Now I’m no tea connoisseur, but my guy was serving up a little more than teabags. No pun intended. Lol. Honestly, I was turned off by their relationship the moment I found out Cai was married. He and his wife seem to have an agreement as they have chosen not to divorce. I believe for the benefit of their son, Li-Ben.
Aya chose not to marry Toussaint because she didn’t want to be bitter. However, I found it strange how she could accept Cai knowing they were cheating – whether both physically and emotionally I’m not sure. She couldn’t overlook Toussaint’s infidelity but could do the same thing to someone else. Of course, Ying, Cai’s wife, said she doesn’t care, but I don’t entirely believe that. Though their marriage was arranged, she must have felt something at one point. I mean she married him didn’t she? Or maybe she really doesn’t, but it still not right. Though there’s no love loss there because Cai is not exactly nice. He has a mean streak. Not that I know what went on in their relationship, but yelling at Ying for dropping plates, and not to mention that he’s a deadbeat dad and serial cheater. My guy has a whole other 20-year-old daughter named Eva, the same age as Li-Ben, so that means he was banging the cook at the same time as his wife.

Side note: Apparently, it’s a thing that parents stand around looking for spouses for their children holding up signs and waiting for potential buyers. Arranged marriages are as old as time, but the park?! Lol.
In short, I was more interested in the origin of Aya’s love of tea than their relationship.

I also couldn’t understand Li-Ben. One minute he was upset with his father, not entirely for the fact that he was cheating and potentially hurting his mother, but because he wasn’t told. A few scenes later he’s sitting across from the other woman happily discussing his birthday plans over dinner. What the heck!

Anypoops, I’m still debating if the truly film deserve 2 roses petals or not. Lol. I don’t know. Fatoumata’s rendition of Nina Simone’s Feeling Good was good. You let me know.