Film Fan Perspective
A harsh pinch of my arm as the lights dimmed reminded me that I was, indeed, awake. 1999's "The Best Man", one of the more under- appreciated and well-made films about friendships and relationships I've ever seen, got a sequel. More than anything, it intrigues me that a modern-day studio would greenlight this film and designate it for wide release. Perhaps since the popularity of the leads has reasonably increased over the years, they felt comfortable enough. I shouldn't worry either way about why this exists, and simply be thankful that it does. This is a well-made, humorous, emotional, logical, and sensual film, succeeding on every level. The filmmakers care so much about the characters that we can't help but care for them as well. If not for a slight misstep towards the end, I'd consider "The Best Man Holiday" to be one of the best films of the year.In a lesser film, the plot would seem forced and typical- Harper (Taye Diggs), the 'best man' from the original, is a struggling novelist now, having found little success since his page-turning debut that spawned the problems in the first film. He and his pregnant chef of a wife (Sanaa Lathan) receive an invite to spend the holidays at the not-so-humble abode of Lance & Mia Sullivan (Morris Chestnut & Monica Calhoun), along with all of the friends we remember from the first film. Harper gets advice from career-driven Jordan (Nia Long), his confidant and former almost lover, in the form of a book suggestion- Lance is retiring from the NFL soon, and his best man Harper should pen the biography of the football legend. Keeping that in mind, along with his financial troubles, Harper begrudgingly accepts the invite. After all, the events of the last film left him and his best friend estranged for years, with only occasional contact- not the ideal close friendship.The old group does reunite, but it doesn't always feel so good- the bachelor Quentin (Terrence Howard) has finally found his niche as a 'brand manager', capitalizing on others' dull minds with his sharp wit. Murch (Harold Perrineau) is doing exactly what you might think he'd do- running a school for underprivileged children, married to Candace (Regina Hall), the stripper with a brain who blew his mind in the last film. Shelby, Murch's former girl, has blown up in a big way, starring on a reality show about single housewives or whatever it is that wealthy, shallow people do for fame. That doesn't mean she's happy. Mia? She's been busy raising four children and doing exactly what Lance predicted of her; being happy and content as a homemaker (or so we're led to believe).There is an inevitable tension as this group, 15 years older, tries to manage their emotions around the holiday season. For those not aware of the original, Harper had concealed a secret that he once slept with his best friend's girl. Once the truth sees daylight, emotions get the best of everyone, and revised understandings must be established in a short time to see the wedding through. Clearly, those involved with the events of the first film still carry the associated feelings with them. Things aren't quite 'the same' as everyone reconnects, and the film does a fine job taking us to the logical next step in the character's emotional journeys.This is all standard fare, and if it weren't for the care given to the script and the love the actors put into their performances, it would be forgettable. I felt, as other critics have, that the film was similar to a 'reunion' TV episode- everything here feels familiar and established, evident in the involuntary grin appeared on my face multiple times as a result. A particular scene halfway through the film is an example, as the four main guys serenade the ladies in 'airband' style to the tune of New Edition's classic "Can You Stand the Rain". At the very least, it hearkens back to the best moment of "The Cosby Show" when the Huxtables 'airband' Ray Charles. At best, it's one of the coolest, sweetest moments you'll ever see in movies. For me, the scene encapsulates the reason for loving these two films- the heart displayed on-screen, coupled with the charisma of the actors, is uncommon and welcome.The aforementioned misstep comes from the unfortunately perfunctory and inaccurate way Malcolm D. Lee handles the football scenes toward the end. Lance is nearing the all-time rushing record, and attempts to break it in a Christmas Day game. The announcers (Greg Gumbel and Eddie George of all people) reference his ascension toward that goal right after Lance catches a pass out of the backfield. Call me crazy, but those aren't rushing yards. Also, the film handles a pivotal character arc mostly with grace and dignity, but the surrounding football events don't match up well, creating an awkward, corny moment in a film devoid of them in all other scenes. I won't give away the arc I'm referencing; suffice to say it's another thing the film generally handles well.There is a clear hint that a third film will follow. If Malcolm D. Lee treats that material with the same respect and love as he has with the first two films, it will be a welcome treat. After all, these are wonderfully written characters. They aren't swinging magical hammers, shooting flaming arrows, traveling back in time, or anything of the like that's catching the theater by storm lately, but they offer a welcome, adult respite. I only wish more films had the gall to give us funny, complicated, sexy, cool, and flawed characters like these.
Thomas West
The Best Man Holiday 2.5/10- First of all, do not confuse this movie with any sort of Tyler Perry kind of movie nonsense. This movie is its own kind of comedy. The thing that disappointed me about this movie though is it had a lot more drama then it led you on to believe. I never saw the first movie, so I am not going to make any comparisons. Luckily though, the movie does a quick recap of what happened in the last film and what the relationships are like between all of the characters. One of the reasons I wanted to see this movie is because it had some actors that I think are pretty good actors so I thought how bad could it be. I was somewhat pleased with the results.The acting ensemble of The Best Man Holiday all did a relatively good job. Terrence Howard was probably the funniest guy in the film, but I do not know if he deserves all the credit since he is playing the single guy of the group and is given the best lines. And that was the thing that I thought was wrong with the movie, it just was not nearly as funny as it led you on to believe and as a result a lot of people in the theater leave disappointed. It is not the actors fault either, the lines they were given just were not all that funny. The writers of the movie, in my opinion, did not give there best effort and were just hoping they had enough loyal fans from the first movie that were willing to walk into the movie blind. This plan seemed to play off well I guess because it did fairly well at the box office, but that is just lazy and those writers will have a shorter career then they planned to if they continue like this. The thing that most people love about this movie is the message it leaves you with at the end of the movie. It will tell you that you can turn your back on family or true friends. It makes you think about any bad relationships you have and how you can fix them because you will always need your family and friends around when life gets hard and as we all know it is a guarantee that life will get hard. This message is one of the few reasons why I think this movie is passable.In the end, The Best Man Holiday is an average comedy drama that I recommend you wait to see when it comes out on DVD. For more of my reviews, go to my website at reviewsbywest.com
leonblackwood
Review: I wasn't really feeling this film. I found it pretty boring and the storyline was really weak. I didn't see the original movie in this franchise so I was a bit lost throughout the movie. There are some emotional scenes and the all sat cast did make the film feel believable, but I didn't find it that interesting. All of the individual storyline's didn't really seem to go anywhere, but on the plus side, I did find Terence Howard quite funny. It's basically what it says on the tin, without any frills, so if your into your urban comedies then you will enjoy this film. Personally, I did lose interest after a while, because it takes ages for anything to happen, so I woke be watching it again in a hurry. Disappointing!Round-Up: This movie done extremely well at the box office, so there is still a big audience for urban movies which is great for black cinema. Over the years, I've got fed up with these type of movies because there all the same. It's good to see the original cast come together for the sequel, but for a single person, it lacked originality and spark. The director cleverly left it open for a third instalment in this series, but I will be in two minds to watch it.Budget: $17million Worldwide a Gross: $72millionI recommend this movie to people who are into there urban dramas about a group of friends getting together for a holiday. 3/10