Omar Rogers excels at slice-of-life films. With his latest Way Down Low, he explores the plague of married men with secret lives. Chaz (Donovahn Young) is married to Zoe (Quanisha Barnett). Chaz is a father of two, and his wife is very loving and would like more sex in the marriage. Chaz, however, is either absent or sleepy. He is spending more and more time away from home. The reason, dear reader, is that Chaz is infatuated with the newest young lady employed at the firm. April (Demetria Allen) has all the attractive markers of a young black lady: a nice smile, a large posterior, and an hourglass shape. Chaz has taken to wooing and fooling around with April, and has utterly neglected his family. I applaud Rogers’ decision to unflinchingly show the arc of the affair between Chaz and April, and what it’s doing to his home life with Zoe and his children.
Beyond the incipient damage of Chaz’s marriage, his coworker and friend Xavier (George Sutton) is observing that Chaz is distracted at work. Xavier is painfully aware that Chaz is actively destroying his relationships. At one point in their dynamic, you’re meant to wonder whether or not Chaz is sleeping with April or someone else. That secret is integral to the plot, dear reader. So I shall not spoil who it is Chaz is having an affair with. It might be April; it might not.
“Chaz has taken to wooing and fooling around with April, and has utterly neglected his family.”
Indeed, dear reader, infidelity is the drama that powers Way Down Low in a very realistic manner. There are many ways to explore a story on film. The direct approach, wherein the affair is tracked from beginning to end, is unique. I definitely enjoyed watching the way Chaz’s life crumbles around him, thanks to his indiscretion. Omar Rogers is very aware of how all sorts of people comport themselves. From the doctor who has to provide Chaz a devastating test result, to Zoe’s walks with a friend, we see the full panoply of human interaction available in the Atlanta area.
I have mentioned it before, and it bears repeating: All the films Omar Rogers has made are stories that are true to their locale. These are all events that are exceedingly likely to happen at any time in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s akin to the old writerly advice, ‘write what you know’. Rogers is very attuned to the rhythm of life in Black Atlanta. So when calamity strikes in Way Down Low, you watch the tragedy be mitigated as community members aid each other. Everyone in this film has a support network. Whether it’s Chaz’s mom or Zoe’s best friend, they work through and resolve their emotions.
Way Down Low feels like a conversation starter. This is a long overdue discussion about the value of marriage versus the desire to have sexual indiscretions with any man or woman who crosses your path. If you’re in the market for a family drama, seek out Way Down Low. It’s profoundly wise and insightful.
"…Profoundly wise and insightful..."
