About Last Night

So what do we have here? Nothing but another unnecessary remake of an '80s film. This time it's "About Last Night," the romantic drama starring Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, which was itself based on the highly acclaimed play by David Mamet, provocatively entitled "Sexual Perversity in Chicago." In this version, it's Joy Brand and Michael Ealy who play the young urban couple who meet, fall in love, move in together, then begin to have doubts about the efficacy and durability of their relationship.

Brand and Ealy are appealing and attractive performers, and both have done fine work on TV, Brand in "Parenthood" and Ealy in "Almost Human." But here they have been let down by screenwriter Leslye Headland, who proves herself incapable of getting past all the timeworn tropes and clichés that have become so much a part of the romantic comedy genre. The movie becomes just another men-are-from-Mars/women-are-from-Venus- type scenario, filled with girl-talk and guy-talk and all the predictable sturm und drang soul-baring and commitment issues (mainly on the part of the man, of course) that such narratives are prone to. Too often the things pulling the couple apart feel scripted and manufactured rather than organic and real. Under the slick but lackluster direction of Steve Pink, everyone just seems to be going through the motions, without any real passion or conviction.

The movie also comes replete with the requisite smart-aleck, comic- relief couple (well-played by Kevin Hart and Regina Hall) to serve as a foil for the one on center-stage. Yet, even the humor tends to aim low when it should be aiming high.

I like the way the story hits the re-set button in the final scene, but by then it's a case of too little too late and we've already moved onto the next movie.

About Last Night is a very unique romantic comedy. And for a genre that's practically built around clichés, that's really saying something. It intertwines the romance and the comedy from different angles by showing two couples, both with polar opposite relationship dynamics. There are essentially four leads in this movie and they're all excellent, especially Hart and Hall. They're an absolute riot together. You can tell some of the stuff is improvised and they bounce off each other incredibly well, and you actually believe that these characters can fall in love.

The "normal" couple has the more romantic story, and sadly they're not nearly as fun as the crazy couple, but that's kind of the point. There are some heartfelt moments in there, and the witty writing helps a lot. Some plot lines in the movie are predictable, some are filler, but the movie as a whole is diverse and totally engaging. It's structured in a way that it jumps from season to season, showing the peaks and valleys of the two relationships and how the friendships between all four characters are affected by it. There is seldom a dull moment in About Last Night, and you can't say that about many romcoms.

What elevates this movie in particular, though, is Kevin Hart. He's absolutely hysterical. I would watch a full two hour movie of just his character, he's that good. This is more proof that Hart is a comedy genius (and this is coming from someone who doesn't care much for his standup); he just needs the right vehicle to showcase it completely. Here, he just isn't in it enough. I mean, he's in it a lot, but he's just so damn good you can't get enough. His chemistry with everyone is great, and it doesn't even feel like he's acting. Not to say the other actors aren't as good - they're great - but Hart (and his relationship with Hall) basically steals the movie.

About Last Night isn't the be all end all of romantic comedies, but it's different enough to separate it from the pack. It handles both the romance and the comedy with finesse (and plenty of vulgarity), and it features Kevin Hart unleashed. If you're a fan of his, this is a must-watch.

Trying to capture the original doesn't let this movie go to where it could have gone. It has that same 80's young feel (Lowe and Moore were in their 20's) but because these characters are older, and it is a much different age, the movie just doesn't work as a true remake. The movie tries to capture the naiveté and awkwardness of a first serious love like the original, but these actors are MUCH older and have been around the block. The goofy "misunderstandings" and doubting of the relationship - they actually say that whomever says "I love you" first loves the person more (sigh) - wouldn't happen over 30. For more of us it's 25. So if they took more liberties with the acting it have been so much better. And that is so disappointing! Kevin Hart plays the same character he does in every movie - and if of course hysterical. It's so sad because these actors are all great but what they are portraying doesn't work. Besides that, it was a cute movie. I was hoping for another Act Like a Man, but alas no.

Bernie (Kevin Hart) tells his best friend Danny (Michael Ealy) about last night with Joan (Regina Hall). She's also telling her roommate Debbie (Joy Bryant). They go out on a double date. Bernie and Joan are the wild ones. Danny and Debbie are jaded from all the bad relationships. They hook up anyways and despite reservations, they fall into a relationship.

Kevin Hart and Regina Hall are hilarious together. Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant are a bit bland together. Their romance is rather boring. So the movie is half good. It's lot of fun to have Hart and Hall have their all out fights. I just wish that Ealy has some more energy to pump up his relationship. The sidekicks are better than the leads.

About Last Night could have gone in two directions: Play it safe and make easy money like 2012's Think like a Man; or gamble the R rating, become more realistic, and resemble the likes of Best Man Holiday.

The gamble was taken, and the payoff is far better than expected. About Last Night finally allows Kevin Hart off the leash and the results are amazing. He also has a comedic rival in the female category with Regina Hall, who stands toe-to-toe with his insanity and doesn't back down. The end result is a romantic dramedy that despite lacking in laughs in favor of drama delivers an entertaining movie that will go down as one that took risks, just not enough of them.

The main risk was the well-earned yet respectably mature R rating. Your best movies about relationships usually tend to be those that do not shy away from the more mature subjects and aren't afraid of baring it all physically and emotionally. The Before Sunrise trilogy and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are the better modern examples. About Last Night never exaggerates to earn the rating, instead exposes one-night stands, relationships, sex, emotional growth, and all the complications amongst these subjects with no red tape to stop it—ultimately establishing itself as a more mature film in its usual cinematic genre.

It wasn't just the honesty that gives About Last Night its edge above its usual contemporaries. It boasts a great (besides Bruno Mars' latest album) soundtrack that incorporates a healthy dosage of jazz and blues, employs a script with good dialogue, and is directed and edited nice and tight for that it never really overstays its welcome. Most importantly, the chemistry amongst the leads is off the charts. Regina Hall and Kevin Hart are nearly flawless together, as their banter and angry love provide the most laughs and some of the best moments in the movie. Not to be undone, the more dramatic relationship between Joy Bryant and Michael Ealy was very much believable and carried the emotional weight of the entire film.

What ultimately bogs down About Last Night is that it doesn't quite dig deep enough into the psyche of modern-day relationships. The 1980 version of About Last Night and the play that it's based on were both brutally realistic as well as critical of the time period and the views of relationships amongst the culture. With this version, we see the who, the what, and the where, but don't enough of the why. It lacks the subtle commentary like what we saw in Her, it lacks the explanation as to why it's become more difficult nowadays for marriages and long-lasting relationships to survive.

One of the quietly scary trends nowadays is the deterioration of the American marriage, especially amongst minorities like Hispanics and Blacks. This movie could have broken even more ground if this had been explored and expanded upon the concept of Sexual Perversion in Chicago, the original stage play. The play is 40 years old, maybe its time for an update?

Mediocre movies remain in shallow waters. Riskier movies swim deeper. And the best of the best fully dive in and risk all the consequences. About Last Night lands somewhere in the middle, but nonetheless is an entertaining movie with good performances and good chemistry. This movie will not embed itself in romantic drama history, but will leave a nice impression throughout the year—especially from rising star Kevin Hart and the underrated talent of Regina Hall, Joy Bryant, and Michael Ealy.