Friday, May 14, 2010
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Friday, May 14, 2010
MOVIE REVIEW
Just Wright
If Loving This Movie Is
Wrong, I Don't Want To Be "Wright"
Common as Scott McKnight and Queen Latifah as Leslie Wright in "Just Wright" ,
now playing across the U.S. and Canada.
David Lee/Fox Searchlight Pictures
By
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Friday, May 14, 2010
When a movie seems to work well, why abandon the sublime moments that get a film
to the celluloid dance? This is a question that has to be posed to the
makers of "Just Wright", a romantic comedy-drama that is literally afraid of
itself. The film is like a marathon runner, whom having displayed guts,
stamina and confidence for almost the entire 26.2 miles, sees the finish line
just two strides away and turns around and sprints all the way back to the
start.
"Just Wright" does just that.
Sanaa Hamri ("Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants 2",
"Something New") directs Michael Elliot's troubled screenplay for "Just Wright".
The film is about Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah), a sharp motivator and dedicated
physical therapist who is the New Jersey Nets' biggest fan. The basketball
team (which lost 70 of its 82 games in reality this past regular season) is
thriving in the movie's National Basketball Association playoffs with its star
player Scott McKnight (Common) leading the way.
Leslie admires Scott's play on the court and gets to see him off it.
There's an almost instant rapport between them -- and between them stands Morgan
(Paula Patton), Leslie's godsister.
"Just Wright" is conveniently tailor-made for Queen Latifah (neé Dana Owens),
who was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. A true basketball fan, she
has all the right moves for the title role. As in films like "Last
Holiday", it's great to see Latifah leading onscreen in all her glory, a regal,
proud affirmation of plus-size power, positivity and beauty. She is
exquisite here, avoiding the clowning and preening that hinders many onscreen
performances these days. In other words, Leslie is a real woman.
The screenplay however, is a real disaster, spoiling the incredible chemistry
between Latifah and Common to insert devices that have no business being
present, except if the writing of the film itself is lazy. That particular
condition, alas, is satisfied.
Queen Latifah (one of the film's producers) and Common contribute songs to the
film's soundtrack, including one they sing together.
Singer-songwriter-children's author Common steps away from the sullen,
iron-jawed henchmen and action men he's played on film ("Smokin'
Aces", "American Gangster", "Street Kings",
"Wanted", "Terminator
Salvation", "Date Night") to play a leading
man with heart, tenderness and great appeal. He's highly charismatic,
sincere and engaging in the best acting he's done. Neither he nor his
character Scott is a gimmick in Ms. Hamri's film, even if there's one or two
gimmicky situations he's subjected to. "Just Wright" marks Common's
serious introduction to acting and a great film acting career. The
performance will hopefully land Common more work in films where he credibly gets
to show off his acting wares.
Paula Patton as Morgan Alexander, with Queen Latifah and Common in "Just
Wright", directed by Sanaa Hamri. David Lee/Fox
Searchlight Pictures
"Just Wright" fails to stick entirely to its main event: the relationship
between Leslie and Scott -- as if afraid to delve into it. The audience
could have been immersed in a great romantic story, where the characters are
known on deeper levels to us, where the intimacy between them is honestly and
sincerely explored. "Just Wright" could have done this. But
the film is afraid of itself, afraid of its own shadow and light. It
self-relegates and submits to the Hollywood-ism that plagues it and too many
other Hollywood productions.
Mr. Elliot's screenplay is appallingly out of touch with the rich tone that the
talented Ms. Hamri has set for the film it inhabits. Ms. Hamri is adept at
directing romantic tales with societal themes. This new one features class
difference dynamics, whereas "Something New" (with Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker)
dealt with the still-taboo and hotly divisive subject of interracial romance and
marriage in the U.S. "Sisterhood 2" looked at a combination of these
societal variables, and at adolescents transforming into women.
Ms. Hamri should get the chance to direct a feature film that she herself
writes, and rest assured, her film vision will be complete. The material
here is beneath everyone's capabilities, and Ms. Patton ("Precious")
does good work, even if her character here is shallow, as is the film's
exploration of the main characters.
Though "Just Wright" avoids the typical cliché dynamic of career woman vs.
woman-hitched to-man-makes-woman-complete choice that has soiled many a film, it
still manages to get distracted by familiar bad habits that obstruct what could
have been a great film. For much of the time Ms. Hamri's film sparkles,
but the glittery warmth and promise that shines is promptly polluted and
torpedoed to smithereens.
With: Pam Grier, Phylicia Rashad, James Pickens Jr., Laz Alonso, Mehcad Brooks,
Tim Walsh, and a host of cameos by NBA basketball players and sports cable TV
personalities.
"Just Wright" is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association Of America for
some suggestive material and brief
language. The film's running time is one hour and 51 minutes.
COPYRIGHT 2010. POPCORNREEL.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Read more movie reviews and stories from Omar
here.
Read Omar's "Far-Flung Correspondent" reports for America's pre-eminent Film
Critic Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times -
here
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