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In this comedy, Peter Anderson (Steve Martin) is a divorced attorney
who still loves his ex-wife and can’t figure out what he did wrong
to make her leave him. However, Peter is doing his best to move
on. Peter becomes intrigued with Charlene (Queen
Latifah), an on-line companion, who portrays herself to be a
sexy lawyer but when she comes to his house for their first encounter
he quickly discovers she isn’t what she says she is.
This film may be a comic relief for some and not for others. It
all depends on the style of humor that appeals to you. The authentic
chemistry between Steve Martin and Latifah will keep the audience
engaged in this corky storyline. I will say there are a few scenes
that might strike a nerve but it is nothing that an audience hasn’t
seen before.
Whether invigorating or crude, the African American culture and
experience has played and continues to play a big part in American
comedy. The question is which side of the coin the viewers will
continue to gamble on. I am always up for a good laugh but I wasn’t
sure if the audience was laughing because the scenes were funny
or because they were amazed at how the film exemplified the stereotypical
images of several cultures mainly that of the African American culture.
While I believe there is plenty of room in Hollywood for this type
of film, I think my main concern is that this movie doesn’t leave
its viewers with a one-sided image of African Americans. I, as an
adult, can differentiate between exaggerated comedy and reality
but will a 15 year old girl in Belgium be able to do the same.
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