Synopsis:

Love Songs is a Showtime Entertainment produced trilogy of stories that are all interconnected. In A Love Song For the Champ, Robert Townsend plays, The Champ. An accomplished boxer who between fights, works as a mechanic in the local gas station. His dream is to rise above the mediocrity that is his life and get his shot at a title bout. However, with a thieving manager and the pressures of having more month than money to go around, The Champ's chances at success look a little thin. In what appears to be a streak of good fortune, The Champ gets a gig sparring with a title-holding boxer. However, once inside the ring, it's apparent to all around that The Champ is more than the better fighter, he's the better man as well. His opponent is nothing more than a loud mouth, cheat who refuses to fight fair. To make matters worse, The Champ has been instructed not to knock out his opponent. In the event that he lets the trash talking get to him, no matter how long he's been in the ring, one knockdown and The Champ will lose all the money he's already earned ($400 per day, $4,000.00 per week)! But how much trash talking and low blows will the Champ take before it becomes too much to bear? Truly the Champ is in need of a Love Song or two!

In A Love Song for Jean and Ellis, André Braugher plays Ellis. A street vendor selling fresh vegetables and fruits from his truck. Everyday he sees Ms. Jean (Lynn Whitfield) and says something sweet to her in the hopes of garnering her attention and favor. And everyday he is rebuffed by her cold stance. When Ms. Jean suffers a tragic occurrence, Ellis is at her bedside both day and night and it would appear that finally he's chipped away her icy exterior and has the opportunity to meet the inner Ms. Jean. However, when a "boyfriend" shows up, Ellis feels used and pledges to find his love elsewhere. Unable to speak, Ms. Jean cannot convey the truth of the matter and it appears that the love that once was blooming, is now gone forever.

In the last segment A Love Song for Dad, Louis Gossett, Jr. Plays Reuben, the owner of the local bar and grill. His wife's sister is married to an abusive husband and she runs to Reuben for protection everytime he beats her. Reuben has given all the advice he can to her yet she refuses to prosecute her husband. On one occasion, the sister-in-law shows up battered, bloody and bruised and says that her husband has not only beaten her but he's starting on the children as well. Reuben, takes it upon himself to go to the house for a "talk" which quickly dissolves into a fight between himself and his brother-in-law. Even now, the question still remains, what to do next? Reuben must somehow balance being a husband, father and defender all while doing his best to live his life the best he can. Love Songs is a wonderfully woven tapestry of life and love that shines a light of hope even in the most dire of circumstances.

Audio/Video:

The audio is presented in a DD2.0 format that adequately presents the film's dialogue and score. There are no surround effects and no .1LFE involvement. The dialogue is clear and easily understood. The video is presented in a full frame format that boasts some rather rich colors. The fleshtones are accurate and the color saturation levels are good. I did notice a moment of pixellation at the start of the film however, the balance of the presentation was artifact free.

Extras:

Interviews with André Braugher, Robert Townsend, Louis Gossett, Jr. And Lynn Whitfield are included. They last between two and three minutes a piece,and are basically their opinions on the feature and the need for more television shows to be produced at this level of excellence.

Overall:

Love Songs and ballads make you feel wonderful and alive. This collection of stories does the exact same thing. If you've ever been in love, are currently in love or want to be in love, these stories paint a beautiful picture of what "true love" is really all about! Highly Recommended