JUST WRIGHT: JUST OKAY
May 25, 2010
I was supposed to review this but missed the press screening. Well, at my sister's insistence I finally watched it and it was just as expected...just okay. Now I love Queen Latifah, who doesn't, really? She has as much talent and charisma as any major film star, male or female, regardless of color. But because she is "of color" there is the usual Hollywood problem of what to do with her. She has an atypical body type for the screen, and let's just say it...she's a little butch. But, then again, that's what we like about her. So she keeps getting jammed into romantic comedy types of roles, except when she gets to do female buddy comedy like the severely underrated MAD MONEY and the superb BEAUTY SHOP.
This time she's paired with rapper/actor COMMON, an appealing guy but not a believable romantic partner for her. I liked the the whole thing until they actually got together. But then the whole premise is built around the idea of love built from friendship, as opposed to from first sight I guess. You've seen it all before, the gold-digging or otherwise superficial/bad (light-skinned) girl who dazzles the hero until he wakes up and realizes the one he should be with is the one who is right next to him all the time, taking care of him at that. It's all pleasant enough, beautifully shot, well acted (sort of, except for Common most of the time), with lots of inserts of basketball games. As usual, I left it reminded of how much I still love the Queen, wondering if that good will can ever be exhausted.
This time she's paired with rapper/actor COMMON, an appealing guy but not a believable romantic partner for her. I liked the the whole thing until they actually got together. But then the whole premise is built around the idea of love built from friendship, as opposed to from first sight I guess. You've seen it all before, the gold-digging or otherwise superficial/bad (light-skinned) girl who dazzles the hero until he wakes up and realizes the one he should be with is the one who is right next to him all the time, taking care of him at that. It's all pleasant enough, beautifully shot, well acted (sort of, except for Common most of the time), with lots of inserts of basketball games. As usual, I left it reminded of how much I still love the Queen, wondering if that good will can ever be exhausted.
Posted by Dianne Brooks.
