Girls Trip

Tonight I screened Girls Trip, starring Regina Hall and Queen Latifah.

Ryan Pierce (Hall) is a successful self-help author on her way to keynote the Essence Festival in New Orleans with her three best college pals in tow: Sasha (Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett-Smith) and Dina (Tiffany Haddish).

Sasha is a celebrity gossip blogger who gets a tip that Ryan's husband Stewart (Mike Colter) is having an affair. She and the other girls share this with Ryan, who already knows about the infidelity, but is keeping up appearances for the sake of their joint brand.

Determined not to let the looming threat of a leak ruin their weekend, the women press on, partying in VIP circles, drinking, dancing and trying to get (uptight) divorcée Lisa laid. To complicate matters, Ryan's agent has set a meeting during the event with the head of a major retail store that's looking to make a lucrative deal with Ryan and Stewart.

That's all I can say without giving it all away, so I'll just say this: although there is one gross scene I desperately wish I could un-see, this isn't your average we-drank-too-much-and-will-pay-for-it party movies. It's a fun, feasible movie about four women with a host of issues just trying to get through life with a little help from their friends.

Because the screenwriters didn't just focus on Ryan's story, the audience develops empathy for all the players, giving each more dimension than a traditional "supporting" cast.

This film had a lot of laughs—but more importantly—a lot of heart.

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22 Jump Street

Today I saw 22 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum.

Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are back in this sequel to 2012's 21 Jump Street, which was based on the television show.

This time, instead of going undercover at a high school, the partners are tasked with finding a drug dealer at a college. All they have to go on is a photo of the supposed dealer with a girl who died from her actions while on the drug she was sold.

The usual silliness ensues as the pair begin to acclimate to the community. Schmidt hooks up with a beautiful art student and Jenko befriends the primary suspect in the case, convinced that he's not the real drug source.

After their worlds on campus grow too far apart, they decide to take a break from one another, which devastates Schmidt. The whole movie is basically a joke about the rough patch they're hitting in their 'relationship' so there is a predictable amount of parallels to romantic comedies.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't laugh a lot at this movie. Sure, it's formulaic, but sometimes when you just want to be entertained, that simple familiarity is not unwelcome.

Hill and Tatum have enough of a spark in their chemistry to keep the comedic fires burning, so go see this if you're okay with knowing what you're in for at the theater.

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Stranger Than Fiction

Today I saw Stranger Than Fiction starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson.

It is the topic of Cinebanter 13, which is available here.