MOVIE OF THE WEEK (11/15/13): THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Regina Hall, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Melissa De Sousa and Eddie Cibrian
WRITER(S): Malcolm D. Lee
DIRECTOR(S): Malcolm D. Lee
WEB SITE: http://www.best-man.com/social/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): The follow-up to 1999's hit The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday finds Harper Stewart (Taye Diggs) at a crossroads in his life. For while his book "Unfinished Business" was a best-seller, that was a long time ago ... And since he's also lost his job at New York University and has a baby on the way, Harper's got a lot of secrets he's been keeping from his wife Robin (Sanaa Lathan) ...
Harper's buddies seem to be doing a lot better by comparison, for while Quentin (Terrence Howard) is still up to his usual playboy antics, Jordan (Nia Long) is enjoying a successful career over at MSNBC and has a great relationship with her boyfriend Brian (Eddie Cibrian). Well, that's a bit of misnomer – Julian (Harold Perrineau) is busy running a school with his wife Candace (Regina Hall) and is trying to find the money he needs after one of his donor's comes across a video featuring his other half in a very compromising situation. And since Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) hasn't gotten over Julian choosing Candy over her, there's always bound to be some trouble when she's around.
But why would Shelby be around? After all, everyone is busy off living their own lives, right? Yes. ... But when they get an invite from Mia (Monica Calhoun) and her NFL superstar husband Lance (Morris Chestnut) – who still hasn't gotten over Mia and Harper's past tryst – invites them all over for the holidays, something is bound to happen.
And as they're about to find out, nothing brings out the holiday spirit like getting everyone back together again.
Harper's buddies seem to be doing a lot better by comparison, for while Quentin (Terrence Howard) is still up to his usual playboy antics, Jordan (Nia Long) is enjoying a successful career over at MSNBC and has a great relationship with her boyfriend Brian (Eddie Cibrian). Well, that's a bit of misnomer – Julian (Harold Perrineau) is busy running a school with his wife Candace (Regina Hall) and is trying to find the money he needs after one of his donor's comes across a video featuring his other half in a very compromising situation. And since Shelby (Melissa De Sousa) hasn't gotten over Julian choosing Candy over her, there's always bound to be some trouble when she's around.
But why would Shelby be around? After all, everyone is busy off living their own lives, right? Yes. ... But when they get an invite from Mia (Monica Calhoun) and her NFL superstar husband Lance (Morris Chestnut) – who still hasn't gotten over Mia and Harper's past tryst – invites them all over for the holidays, something is bound to happen.
And as they're about to find out, nothing brings out the holiday spirit like getting everyone back together again.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Fans of 1999's The Best Man, Morris Chestnut fans, Eddie Cibrian fans, people who enjoy romantic comedies with unexpected twists, fans of quality African-American-centric films
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM?: People who find some of the plot elements too sappy, people unfamiliar with the first film and can't connect the dots together story-wise, people turned off by African-American cinema and/or people turned off by films with religious undertones
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? Surprisingly, for a film that comes more than a decade after its predecessor's release, The Best Man Holiday is not only a good, entertaining film, but one that actually outdoes the original.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: First things first, The Best Man Holiday is a good movie that happens to feature a predominantly African-American cast. I say that because given the nature of both Hollywood and people, some may see the film's trailer and be quick to dismiss it as not for them if they do not fit the film's target demographic.
The Best Man Holiday is not just a comedy although its comedic moments are extremely entertaining. Nor is the film just a drama although when things take a drastic turn (and they do), writer/director Malcolm D. Lee crafts scenarios that are likely to not drive a dry eye in the house. What it is a phenomenal hybrid of the two that updates its characters without losing any of the charm that made them each unique in the first place, which is due to a precise eye by Lee and strong performances by his cast. Each actor one brings something to the table to make not only their character essential to the story, but to the development of the other characters around them, which is no small achievement in and of itself. There are real, relatable issues these characters are dealing with that cut across racial and socio-economic lines, which helps make the film interesting and entertaining from start to finish.
While some might look at some of the elements that bring the film to its climax as cliché or convenient story markers (faith of various types is a huge benchmark throughout the film), Lee and company pull it off so well you won't care. Chestnut in particular shows an emotional range that has not been afforded to him in quite some time, making him the biggest winner overall while Howard excels at playing his character without ever becoming annoying. Likewise, De Sousa is so good at being catty that it helps her character's arc while making sure none of her scenes are ever dull. Even Cibrian deserves kudos for making sure his character isn't a caricature in his limited use.
In short, while there will be many films vying for your attention (and money), The Best Man Holiday is an early gift you will want to share with your friends and family (or at least those 17 and up given its "R" rating) this holiday season.
The Best Man Holiday is not just a comedy although its comedic moments are extremely entertaining. Nor is the film just a drama although when things take a drastic turn (and they do), writer/director Malcolm D. Lee crafts scenarios that are likely to not drive a dry eye in the house. What it is a phenomenal hybrid of the two that updates its characters without losing any of the charm that made them each unique in the first place, which is due to a precise eye by Lee and strong performances by his cast. Each actor one brings something to the table to make not only their character essential to the story, but to the development of the other characters around them, which is no small achievement in and of itself. There are real, relatable issues these characters are dealing with that cut across racial and socio-economic lines, which helps make the film interesting and entertaining from start to finish.
While some might look at some of the elements that bring the film to its climax as cliché or convenient story markers (faith of various types is a huge benchmark throughout the film), Lee and company pull it off so well you won't care. Chestnut in particular shows an emotional range that has not been afforded to him in quite some time, making him the biggest winner overall while Howard excels at playing his character without ever becoming annoying. Likewise, De Sousa is so good at being catty that it helps her character's arc while making sure none of her scenes are ever dull. Even Cibrian deserves kudos for making sure his character isn't a caricature in his limited use.
In short, while there will be many films vying for your attention (and money), The Best Man Holiday is an early gift you will want to share with your friends and family (or at least those 17 and up given its "R" rating) this holiday season.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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