InThe Photograph, the romance is meant to be both captivating and realistic. Meet-cutes have that necessary spark but director Stella Meghie makes a point of avoiding cliches, saying she opts for characters, especially women, to be "grounded." As the filmmaker explains, for romance movies — comedies and dramas alike — to be successful, the audience has to be invested in more than just the relationship. "I think it has to be a coming of age story first before it can be just a romance," Meghie tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Audiences are kind of done with that silly girl who's clumsy and doesn't realize the nice guy standing in front of her." The Photograph, which stars Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield, is a generational love story, where a.