The Wedding Ringer

First Hit:  It was a very funny film – I enjoyed it.

The basic premise of the film is that if a guy needs a best man or groomsmen for a his wedding, he contacts Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart) who will become your best man and best friend through the wedding for a price.

Callahan is quick to point out that as soon as his mission is filled, at the reception, he is to receive his final payment and then they are not friends any longer. It is just a business transaction. This film has set-up written all over it and it works. The groom in this case is Doug Harris (Josh Gad) who is marrying a women he never thought would look at him. Gretchen Palmer (Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting) is beautiful and comes from a wealthy family.

Her father Ed (Ken Howard) is overbearing and nothing is good enough for his daughter. As the wedding day approaches, Doug is panicked about not having a best man and groomsmen. He finds Callahan who decides he’ll help Doug pull off the Golden Tux – Best man and 7 groomsmen. Funny bits include Doug’s choosing of the best man’s name (Bic Mitchum” – razor and deodorant) as was the introduction of Jimmy’s choices for best men.

The comedic chemistry between Hart and Gad as expressed through their two characters was fantastic. Their dance scenes together are wonderfully inventive and playfully skilled.

Hart was the best I’ve ever seen him. His rapid fire talking was more under control and here added to the role. Gad was revelation in that here he shined. He held the second lead character with surety. Cuoco-Sweeting was good and delivered what was needed in this supporting role. Howard was appropriately gruff and mean and it has been years since I’ve seen him in a role (remember "The White Shadow" on television). Mimi Rogers, another actor I’ve not seen in a very long time was good in a minor roles as Sweetling’s mother Lois. Jennifer Lewis as Doris Jenkins, Callahan’s assistant was great and stole the scenes she was in. Jeremy Garelick and Jay Lavender wrote this funny and strong script which Garelick did a great job of making it all work.

Overall:  A very entertaining film and one that you can escape and trust.

Think Like a Man

First Hit:  This film served up both truth and laughs.

Film follows 7 men who are close friends and hang out together often.

The film also follows the women whom they meet. So what is thinking like a man entail? It entails reading Steve Harvey’s book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”.

In this book he gives women advice of how to land men; who are mama’s boys, or can’t commit, or are players, and other behaviors. What happens is that we follow men who are being lured into relationships they actually want by women who are using the techniques written in the book to make the man do what they want.

At one point the men get copies of the book and try to blunt the girl’s attempts but in the end the men want these girls. Through all this is humor, some of it smart, some slapstick, some racial, but mostly it is the kind of humor one expects in the truth.

The bits with the professional basketball players is really funny and I would have liked even more of those scenes.

This film is smart in the way it handles the male and female parts.

This is a very good ensemble piece and although the actors are not largely known (A-list) the acting was strong: Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Kevin Hart, Terrence Jenkins, Romany Malco, Gary Owen, Chris Brown, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Lewis, Gabrielle Union, La La Anthony, Wendy Williams and Sherri Shepherd were all funny and good in their roles. Keith Merryman wrote the smart screenplay from Steve Harvey’s book. Tim Story directed this smartly with great movements between couples and scenes.

Overall: I really enjoyed this film because it rang of truth, was smartly written and well directed.