Just Wright

    Well, this movie was a surprise. I would never have chosen to see this movie if it wasn't for an assignment. So, today, I'm glad that I'm a movie reviewer- for nice little surprises like this one. I'm not even sure I should have liked Sanaa Hamri's Just Wright. It's completely formulaic and has an embarrassing title. Maybe something about the characters and the story resonated with me. Maybe I appreciated the heroine's integrity to herself that remained throughout the film. Maybe this time, I fell for the cheesy, fairytale storyline. Ridiculous title aside, Just Wright was engaging and Queen Latifah was as usual, amazing.

    Queen Latifah plays Leslie Wright, a thirty-something physical therapist who has trouble getting out of the "friend zone" with guys. Her best friend, Morgan (Paula Patton), who is pretty in a very conventional sort of way, has expensive taste- in her champagne and her men. Morgan considers "bagging" an NBA player and making him her husband to be her career. Therefore, she has no money and stays with Leslie. I can't figure out how these two are friends. Their differences don't complement each other so much as clash. I can believe that there are people in the world who are so self-absorbed as to manipulate a wealthy man into marrying her. I can't believe Leslie would be friends with her. Morgan was probably presented as such a sharp contrast to Leslie to make a statement about conventional women in the media. Morgan doesn't eat in public and believes in shopping therapy. Leslie has goals beyond bagging a husband.

    Either way, the two besties meet Scott McKnight (Common), star player for the Nets. Scott is characterized as the extreme opposite as Morgan. He's sweet, naive, and doesn't have the arrogance one expects from a pro ball player. He's your basic Prince Charming. It becomes very clear that Just Wright  is fantasy when Scott tells his agent that, though he will be a free agent at the end of the season, he wants to resign with the Nets out of loyalty. Morgan manages to manipulate him into falling for her. So, Scott's naive and not very bright either. Everything works out well for the couple until Scott is badly injured during a game. He needs to get better before the playoffs in order to get resigned with the Nets. So, Leslie movies in to get him back on his feet. We all know what happens from there.

    Interestingly enough, I feel like Just Wright is a direct counterpoint to my review for Letters to Juliet. Both had trailers that basically revealed the entire movie. Both were formulaic fairy tales. The difference is that the predictability didn't work against Just Wright. I mentioned in my Letter to Juliet review that there was a great lack of suspense due to the fact that I knew what was going to happen throughout the movie. I never worried about Sophie getting the guy or Claire finding her Lorenzo. In Just Wright, I knew how the story would end, but I enjoyed watching the characters get there, and I did worry for Leslie and Scott. The big reason for this is the chemistry between Leslie and Scott. If you're going to tell a love story, you have to make the audience believe the characters are in love. Too often, movies tell the audience that two people are in love without any reasons or proof. We're expected to just accept a glance and a smile as a connection. Sanaa Hamri allows us to watch two people as they grow to care for each other- and we believe it. That's how you get people to stay involved in a movie with an ending predestined from the first scene.