Queen Latifah routinely breaks the rules of Hollywood.
Not only did the hip hop star turned actor conquer a new medium, she snared an Oscar nomination only a few years ago for “Chicago.” And while most actresses look woozy from a lack of food, her unapologetic curves don’t stop her from achieving leading lady status.
But Latifah’s latest film, “Just Wright,” didn’t fulfill her potential as a different kind of rom-com heroine. It’s the most intriguing new release of the week, if not the best.
- “Just Wright” -Latifah alternately shines and finds her talents dimmed as Leslie Wright, a physical therapist who falls for her client, an NBA star played by Common. But Leslie’s galpal, played by the stunning Paula Patton, also has her sights set on said client. The Blu-ray extras include a gag reel and co-star Common discussing the fine art of the fast break.
- “Letters to Juliet“ – Another bland rom-com off the assembly line, but at least this one has gorgeous scenery and a full-bodied turn by Vanessa Redgrave. Amanda Seyfried stars as a betrothed reporter trying to reunite an old woman (Redgrave) with an old flame. But the woman’s unctuous son (Christopher Egan) keeps getting in the way. The young stars offer little romantic chemistry, but Redgrave’s attempt at rekindling an old flame partially makes up for it. The Blu-ray extras include deleted and extended scenes, commentary from Seyfried and director Gary Winick plus “The Making of Letters to Juliet: In Italia; A Courtyard in Verona.”
- “Two Tickets to Paradise” – Actor D. B. Sweeney’s directorial debut is as charming as one might hope for, given the actor’s knack for playing down to earth characters. Sweeney and two pals (John C. McGinley, Paul Hipp) take a road trip they won’t soon forget. The middle section gets bogged down with suicidal tendencies, but the wry script and winning performances wrest the film back on track. Check out my chat with Sweeney over at Big Hollywood. The DVD extras include commentary from Sweeney, deleted scenes and two trailers for the film.
- “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” – Not every sure thing pans out. This light, harmless actioner seemed a jumping off point for a new franchise. But critics and audiences reacted indifferently to Jake Gyllenhaal’s bid for action hero status. He plays an adopted son of a king looking to clear his name after being framed for murder. Some action sequences pop, and Alfred Molina hangs around long enough to make you wish he had a bigger role. The Blu-ray extras include a CineExplore feature allowing viewers to tap into “making of” moments after seeing a particular scene.
(Photo: Queen Latifah and Common get to know each other in “Just Wright,” a 20th Century Fox home video release)
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I really like Queen Latifah, but her movies, for the most part, are terrible. The only really good one I can think of is Stranger Than Fiction, where she and a very droll Emma Thompson played off each other perfectly. IMHO, she needs to take more roles like that, and less annoying rom-coms.
Granted, I’ve only seen Chicago, Bringing Down the House (which I liked for the most part) and Stranger Than Fiction, but agree with JimmyC. Of course, most rom-coms should be avoided these days anyway.
Her resume is spotty, but she’s often the best thing about the movies she’s in and she has screen presence to burn. That … is rare.
“Just Wright” has its moments, but there are some scenes where the dialogue is so bad you can’t help but wince.