In a world full of superhero movies with loud, flashy special effects and high-concept, star-studded remakes, sequels, biopics and sweeping historical dramas, it’s really nice to find a grounded romance with real fleshed-out characters. The latter is what we find in Stella Meghie’s “The Photograph.”

There is absolutely nothing wrong with watching Wonder Woman or Captain America take out some evil-doer on the biggest screen you can find (I’m typically first in line to see whatever Marvel or DC wants to pump into my eyeballs), but taking a moment to catch something on the opposite end of the cinematic spectrum is a welcome chance to uncover human stories closer to us mere mortal’s level.

We start with LaKeith Stanfield playing reporter Michael Block for fictional publication “The Republic” as he conducts an interview with former Louisiana oil rig worker Isaac Jefferson, played by Rob Morgan. Isaac shows Michael old photographs from his youth including his old flame Christina Eames (Chanté Adams), who ran away to New York 30 years ago.

Meanwhile, in New York, Christina’s daughter Mae, played by the stunning Issa Rae, finds a safety deposit box left to her by her mother who stayed in NYC, becoming a professional photographer. Christina has recently passed away and left her daughter two letters in the box, one for her and one to be delivered to her father, whose envelope is left blank.

While following up on who Eames was, Michael and Mae meet and immediately have a spark and the two begin to see each other casually. What follows next is a series of flashbacks showing Cristina and Isaac in the 1980s juxtaposed with Michael and Mae in the present. As Mae reads through the letter left to her, she slowly learns more about her mother, uncovering the true reasons why their relationship was strained, the love she had for Isaac and ultimately, why she chose to leave Louisiana for good.

The relationship that builds between Michael and Mae is very real. Nothing seems too out of the realm of the ordinary or plausible and it gives the audience the chance to relate closely to what they’re experiencing. Granted, because of this, at times the plot seems to drag a little with their storyline, but it quickly recovers.

Stanfield plays calm, cool and collected characters with such ease, but a lot of the joy of “The Photograph” comes when he loses this kind of swagger and can play or adlib a scene with his co-stars.

Issa Rae is subtle, at times too subtle and her face can appear blank or emotionless. But as with Stanfield, when given the chance to move beyond the structure of the script, she shines.

There are no earth-shattering disclosures or twists here, and no sudden eruptions of grand emotion. With the revelations made throughout, the film toes the line between reality and melodrama, always staying rooted in the former.

For the most part, it works in the film’s favor due largely to the performances of these characters who are all out to uncover truths with love as their guiding light.

“The Photograph”

106 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for sexuality and brief strong language

3 stars