Jay Garcia, Staff Writer
May 3, 2012
Director Tim Story does a wonderful job bringing a likable cast in the adaptation of Steve Harvey’s book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.” Moviegoers not particularly fond of Harvey will be pleased to find out that this romantic comedy doesn’t have a hint of Harvey humor.
The movie begins with four guys who each have different personalities when it comes to their relationships. We have Dominic (played by Michael Ealy) the dreamer, who has hopes and dreams but never actually implements any of them. Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara) is still into collecting toys and refuses to grow up and accept responsibility. Zeke (Romany Malco) is the player who only has one goal: to get busy. Michael (Terrence Jenkins), the momma’s boy who will do anything for his mother- even leave a girl if she says so.
Harvey started promoting his book by making appearances on TV shows and book signings throughout the city. Testimonials about women’s success starts a trend that gets other women to read the book. Women start to see that the only way to get what they want from a man is to think like one.
As the women start to implement the suggestions, Harvey talks about instantly making the book a bible for them.
The beginning relationships are with four women who each have a different outlook on life. There’s Candace (Regina Hall), a single mother; Lauren (Taraji P. Henson) a corporate big wig; Kristen (Gabrielle Union) a settler and known simply as the girlfriend; and Mya (Meagan Good) the cautious one.
The ladies enter the love battlefield using the book as a guide to winning. Having found major success in getting the men to bend like they wanted to, the girlfriends continue to think like men.
It seems at the beginning that the main focus is on the men and how they go about things, later on, Story shows both viewpoints, adding a comical effect that is reminiscent to hanging out with friends utilizing slang and stereotypes to justify one’s actions.
Soon, one of the guys finds out about “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” and tells the rest of his friends. Feeling betrayed by Harvey, the guys reverse the roles back to the women and now it’s a full on battle of the s*xes.
Right when everything seems to be working out for the ladies, everything starts to unravel and everyone’s true colors start showing once again, resulting in the break up of all of the couples.
Shortly afterwards, both s*xes find out that regardless of who they were and what they did, Harvey’s book only strengthened the relationship by having the guys and girlfriends realize they need each other and are happier with each other’s company.
To call Story brilliant would be an understatement since he clearly knows that getting an attractive cast will lead to an audience fainting in astonishment at a
shirtless Malco and mesmerized by Good’s curves. Adding the s*x appeal definitely adds to the enjoyment of the movie but the moral at the end of the movie will more than likely get even the toughest guy to choke up.
The film does an impeccable job at showing couples that flaws are part of a relationship and once worked out, they only strengthen the love after its severed.
Moviegoers will definitely be baffled by the fact that this is a real book that gives the ladies the insiders tips on how a man functions. Soon women will be walking around talking about Harvey’s book and attempt to do what the girlfriends did in this comedy only to realize ironically they to will end up thanking him.
Source:
http://www.mesapress.com/a-e/2012/05/03/re...
Posted By: How May I Help You NC
Friday, May 4th 2012 at 2:17PM
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