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.

Friends with Benefits

First Hit: Smart fun writing and great chemistry result in a totally wonderful, engaging and interesting film.

There is nothing like a smart script to make a film satisfying.

The dialogue here is clever, interesting, up-to-date, and downright spot on. The next step for a film is to have a clear idea of what the film wants to say, and here Will Gluck directed this with clear unfailing vision.

The coup de grace was the choice of actors. Here Justin Timberlake plays Dylan, a mathematically challenged designer, to the hilt. He is handsome, slightly “damaged” by his childhood, caring of people, wanting to do the right thing, but doesn’t have the chops to settle down with one woman.

In the other camp is Mila Kunis playing Jamie a high-level headhunter who wants her prince charming to sweep her off her feet and her damaged view of relationships keep men away after a few short go-a-rounds. She is whippet smart, outgoing, fun, and has a mom that cannot even tell her the ethnicity of her father.

Jamie contacts Dylan while searching for a head designer for GQ magazine. He comes to New York City to “check out his options” and go through the interview process. From the get go there is chemistry. It is fun, spontaneous, quick-witted and a delight to watch. She “sells” him that this is the right move for him and he takes the job.

Arriving in New York, knowing no one, he and Jamie become fast friends. And here is the kicker as to why this film works; you believe they are and can be friends. One evening while they are lamenting about past relationships, they decide they can have sex with each other without any emotion or feelings; “just like playing tennis”. Of course they do (hence the film title) and their sex is amazing for each of them.

The frank repartee in and out of the bed is out-loud funny and inwardly touching. Their family representatives as played by Richard Jenkins (Dylan’s dad) and Patricia Clarkson (Jamie’s mom) are amazingly great in their roles and only add to the intrigue. Woody Harrelson, playing Tommy GQ’s gay sportswriter is hilarious and perfectly cast.

 Timberlake is downright perfect in this role and, in my mind, has shown he has wonderful acting chops. My personal favorite scene is in the bedroom when he starts to dance and rap to a Kris Kross song. It shows his musical talents, dancing ability, all while staying in character. Kunis is sublime. She is open, beautiful, sharp, and downright loveable. She carried her share of the load fantastically. Jenkins had me in tears when he talked about the “love of his life” while in his underwear at the airport. Clarkson was a perfect blend of part hippy, part fox, and part mother who could never really stay in one place or with one man. She is a hoot. Harrelson seems to know how to play so many different characters with belief. Here, as a gay man, he’s fun. Keith Merryman and David A. Newman get kudos for writing such a smart script. From the outset the words clearly define the times while engaging the audience. Gluck caught the mood, and dynamics in a perfect way – outstanding.

 Overall: We all know the end of the film when it starts, but it makes no difference because the joy in this movie is in the ride so don’t miss it.