SYNOPSIS:
Queen
Latifah and Common deliver slam-dunk entertainment in this
charming story of hoops, hope, and the game of love. Leslie
Wright (Latifah) is a straight-shooting physical therapist
who gets the gig of a lifetime working with injured NBA star
Scott McKnight (Common). Leslie not only whips Scott into
shape, she helps take his game to the next level and all is
going well...until Leslie finds herself falling for him. Oblivious
to her growing affection, Scott only has eyes for Morgan (Paula
Patton), Leslie's sexy and seductive friend. With everything
on the line, Leslie must take her best shot and find out if
she and Scott are just right for each other.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Queen Latifah isn’t an obvious choice for the lead in a rom-com. Unlike rom-com regulars like Jennifer Aniston or Katherine Heigl, she’s a plus size so she’s probably not the most physically attractive actress around. But for what she lacks in the looks department, she makes up for it amply with her sunny disposition, an irresistible combination of good-hearted cheer and genuine warmth- both of which she utilises in her latest rom-com “Just Wright”.
The most pleasantly surprisingly thing about “Just Wright” is just how grounded it is- yes, every rom-com has that element of wish-fulfilment, but the key lies in doing it in such a way that your audience believes it could really happen. Latifah’s character Leslie Wright, a physical therapist and ardent New Jersey basketball fan, isn’t some hot chick the guys can’t get enough of and/or fall in love with; rather, she’s a perpetually single girl who always ends up as the person her date just wants to be friends with.
Doesn’t that sound familiar? Haven’t we heard someone we thought we were compatible with tell us that he/she just wants to be friends? And to add insult to injury, haven’t we had someone we thought was interested in us get closer, only to find out that their intention was simply to get to know our prettier and more attractive BFF? These are the circumstances facing Leslie, and because many of us will have similar experiences, it’s not hard to identify with Latifah’s character.
The script by Michael Elliot (‘Brown Sugar’) knows better than to set up Leslie and rapper-turned-actor Common’s basketball player Scott McKnight as romantically inclined right from the start. Instead, despite Leslie’s obvious affection, Scott will first fall in love with her BFF, Morgan (Paula Patton), before a possible career-ending injury gives Scott and Leslie the chance to get to know each other better. Elliot and director Sanna Hamri deserve credit for not taking the easy way out with a fairy-tale romance, but rather keeping their subsequent interaction convincing and endearing at the same time.
It also helps that Latifah and Common share genuine chemistry with each other, their scenes together filled with an easygoing back-and-forth rhythm that will win you over easily. Common also puts in a suitably persuasive performance as the star basketball player, surrounded- thanks to the involvement of the NBA- by pros and former pros. Latifah and Common are also fans of the game in real-life and their enthusiasm for the sport shows up palpably on screen.
In fact, “Just Wright” is probably the rare sports movie that doesn’t just throw in romance as an afterthought- rather, romance is at the front and centre of the film, and instead of the usual tired clichés that Hollywood rom-coms are filled with, we get a surprisingly mature and appealing rom-com with two charming stars. Yes, you probably know what the ending will be even before watching the film, but “Just Wright” shows that the journey to that destination doesn’t have to be dull.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
There are two featurettes on this disc- “The One You Can’t Live Without” talks about the origins of this movie (including how Latifah championed to get it made) and its casting; while “Common on the Fast Break” discusses Common’s basketball training for the movie to help him look convincing on the court. To round up the extras, there is an utterly unnecessary Gag Reel and the theatrical trailer.
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 comes alive during the basketball games but otherwise this mostly talky film makes its presence felt through the front and centre speakers. Visuals are pristine and colours are mostly vibrant.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Gabriel Chong
Posted
on 22 January 2011
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