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Like most movie-loving chicks, I’m on a constant search for the perfect chick flick. I’ll happily overlook the predictability of the same old romcom formulas for that perfect blend of clever comedy, fairy tale romance, and lovable, relatable characters. But no matter how much I want to love movies like Just Wright, I’m afraid that there’s nothing in my bag of film critic tricks that can make them any better.
Just Wright follows one of the standard romcom formulas: Everygirl meets Dream Boy and loses him to Pretty Gold Digger. Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a fun-loving physical therapist (and die-hard basketball fan) who’s never had much luck with men. They always want her as a friend—but they never want her as a girlfriend. Her friend, Morgan (Paula Patton), on the other hand, pretty much has to beat guys off with a stick—but she’s only interested in becoming an NBA trophy wife.
When, after a chance encounter with Nets superstar Scott McKnight (Common), Leslie gets an invitation to his big birthday bash, Morgan makes her move. And—no surprise—Scott takes the bait. But then he suffers a career-threatening injury. Morgan doesn’t trust Scott’s pretty new therapist, so she hires Leslie to take care of him instead. And while Morgan is out shopping—and questioning her future with an NBA has-been—Leslie stands by him, pushing him to get back on the court.
Of course, you already know how Just Wright will play out. Romantic comedies aren’t designed to be particularly surprising—or realistic, either. Instead, they’re designed to make you feel like anything is possible—like a woman just like you could win the heart of a handsome prince. The idea is to make you forget your own reality while you bask in a sweet, funny fairy tale. But Just Wright is so unbelievably unnatural that you’ll have a hard time enjoying it.
Sure, the story’s predictable—but that’s okay. At times, you might even get caught up in it. But then the poorly-written dialogue will pull you right back out. Would a grown man really say, “You’re the bomb dot com”? I sure hope not—and the fact that someone actually says that (and other ridiculous things like it) in the movie will make you stop and roll your eyes (repeatedly).
The characters, meanwhile, do have a certain charm to them. Most of us can relate to Queen Latifah’s Leslie. And who wouldn’t love to find a guy who’s rich and famous—and who, despite his wealth and fame, is still a sweet, sensitive guy who loves his mama and plays the piano and cares about underprivileged kids? But the characters (especially Scott) are just too perfect—and the performances (especially Common’s) are completely unnatural. You’ll want to love Scott—but Common’s exaggerated expressions and affected delivery make him hard to watch.
Just Wright isn’t a total Wright-off, but it’s just too hokey and overplayed to make it the Wright choice for a night out with the girls. In my quest to find the most lovable chick flicks, this one doesn’t even make the playoffs.
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