What Nola's gotta have is sex, and to get it she doesn't mind juggling three lovers, with an equal allowance of the same open, uncomplicated affection. The act of love is, for her, simply an expression of a healthy natural appetite, but for each of her men it's a distracting obsession they'd rather not share. Nothing is quite so foolish as an ardent male in heat, and writer-director-editor Spike Lee exploits that vulnerability with a shrewd eye for the idiosyncrasies of human behavior. Everyone is a target but no one is hurt; Lee even lampoons himself while playing the least conventional corner of the besotted trio. The film was reportedly made in less than a fortnight on a budget under $200,000, but with enough energy and originality to more than compensate for the lack of a professional budget (and a professional cast). In retrospect the shoestring production would have another, unexpected benefit, restricting the stylistic overkill that would mark Lee's subsequent high-profile features.
Review of She's Gotta Have It
