Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Review: The Best Man Holiday

Release date: November 15, 2013
Running time: 122 minutes
Starring: Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long
Who to see it with: Fans of romantic comedies or long-awaited reunion sequels

Lee:


The Best Man Holiday reunites the friends and lovers of popular 1999 romantic dramedy The Best Man and their relationships are just as dramatic as before. Many of the characters haven't seen one another in years, but old tensions remain while a few new ones have arisen due to TBM's events. Similar to how TBM was set around everyone coming together for Lance's (Chestnut) wedding, a holiday reunion at his house becomes the setting for more relationship drama.

TBM and its sequel seem more targeted towards males than the usual romantic comedy. This may be why the women seem a little underdeveloped compared to the men, some more defined by their relationships than by any innate qualities. This, the preoccupation with long-ago immoral behavior, and the frequent mentions of faith give the movie a moralistic, old-fashioned feel. TBMH also resembles most rom coms with its obvious plot twists and overly silly ending. Still, seeing characters come together in an unexpected sequel is fun. Like the first film, Terrence Howard's Quentin provides much of the comic relief with his trouble-making personality. The cast ably juggles comedy and drama and excel even when the writing lets them down, making it believable that a group of friends can really care for one another despite so much conflict. And a dramatic turn near the film's end, though marked by a few clichés, is more effective than the usual attempt to add meaning to a comedy. The Best Man Holiday is a fairly conventional romantic dramedy, but the reunion of the lively cast will bring laughs and maybe a few tears.

Rent

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