Written & Directed By: Daniel Taplitz
Cinematography By: David Hennings
Editor: Robert Frazen
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Gabrielle Union, Morris Chesnut, Peter MacNicol, Jennifer Esposito, Bianca Lawson, Jill Ritchie, Danny Comden, Octavia Spencer, Tate Taylor
Quincy Watson, after being unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. Not wanting his male friends to suffer the same fate, he gives them advice on dumping their mates. A comedy of errors ensues.
Not to be confused with the Canadian sex comedy of the 1980's.
This film stars Jamie fox and Gabrielle Union who have general chemistry when they are on-screen together.
This is a nice light romantic comedy that manages to serve both sides of it's genre. It’s light and funny and yet offers no theories or is threatening to either sex and their ideologies.
The film moves at a quick pace with the right amount time relegated to the humor which it rises to once in awhile and romance
It's just for all of the films strides. It easily traps Jamie Foxx constantly with a leaden formula. Where he is kind of caught luckily at times he uses his natural charisma and humor to help you forget. Leading to the equivalent of this film playing at being a THREE's COMPANY episode where the story all comes back to coincidences and misunderstandings. That feels broad and vibrant, but also watered down and silly to appeal to the greatest number of prospective audience members and allow for the film to have crossover appeal.
Which lead to the problem that this film is trying to get at is the problem in relationships, non-communication and assumptions.
It's cute that the main couple eventually figure it all out and grow up to stop playing games, be adults and communicate. Though with it's side characters they try to present as 3 dimensional come off as caricatures and types. Even in this film which tries to avoid or not care about race. It's Caucasian characters come off as net retaining but one note that feel only here to give the film crossover appeal. Thankfully this isn't a film that seeks to be too deep in characterization other then the romantics.
Gabrielle Union whose career was white hot at the time. Seeming to have a role in every film that was completely by out at the time. Is really good here as she brings romance, professional and comedic skills to the forefront. She is perfection in this film. I only wish the rest of the film could match her performance.
This film was a step-up for Jamie Foxx at the time. Who at that point had roles in more juvenile comedies and one dramatic role. Here he proved he could be the charming leading man after all. Eventually which helped him win the Oscar. I wondered if hear we're going to be the type of roles he was stuck in or pursue only with bigger budgets. Luckily he has seemed to find roles to fit his stature that help him standout with the talent he obviously has. Showing range, though at times I wish he would come back to roles such as his if only to let loose his more comedic personality.
The film lives off it’s charm and personality rather then anything else.Since we are so used to seeing these types of films.
The film luckily is never truly vulgar though threatens to go that way at times. It stays within the line of good taste. During the making of this movie, Jamie Foxx had cut his hair for RAY. So in the final scene, Foxx is wearing a wig, which is why his hair looks so much longer.
Though at least this film lets him flex early in his career to show that he has the skills to be a viable leading man. This is also it seems like Foxx’s Swan song to more lighthearted material as a leading man at least. As his movies and performances seem to become more serious and well funded after he got the Oscar for Best Actor for RAY. After the Oscar win I wondered where he would guide his career. While I am happy with the choices he has made since. I sometime miss this Jamie Foxx the more comedic and open one. I don’t believe I am the only one.
For some odd reason the film at turns feels slightly boxed in not as free as it should. Though at times the comedy feels a little low-brow and gimmicky.
GRADE: B-
No comments:
Post a Comment