Hav Plenty

I was offended, bored and annoyed while watching this. I don't usually agree with many of Maltin's summaries but his take on this one is right on the money (except I'd only give it 1/2 a star - just for being able to get distributed and those celebrity cameos - terrible waste of connections). As well as being smug, the movie was colorist, classist and disturbingly close-minded.

Besides the fact that this quasi-movie could have gotten funded and distributed, when quality projects are struggling to get produced, the most disturbing thing is that there are people who have watched this and thought it was anything more than horrid.

Sorry, but no thanks!

I was very pleasantly surprised by this low budget comedy. The story centres around a homeless writer, Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot - who did everything on this movie to prove his up-coming talent) who joins a friend and her family for New Year, and the trials and tribulations which befall him during his stay. These trials mainly involve getting into various unwanted and unplanned situations with several women. The movie tells a story of love through modern day class barriers and the will Lee Plenty had to achieve his aim (publishing a book). As it turned out everything that happened to him gave him all the material he needed.

I found the film light and easy to watch, although not so much the romantic comedy which it was advertised as. The entertainment was in wondering what was going to happen to Lee next to prevent him leaving as he was constantly planning. I must admit though that the ending was pretty predictable. I'm looking forward to what Cherot will treat us to next.

I didn't get a chance to see this movie when it came out but when I saw it I was really impressed. The movie had class and it was refreshing to see normal black folk. As a film maker my self I thought the guy did an excellent job for the money. It just proves you can do a quality film without a bunch of stars. But where is Chebot, I am waiting for his next project.

I thought it was a good movie. It was intimate (as in warm and familiar) and sort of a comedy of errors. I thought it was a cast of some of the most beautiful Black folks I'd ever seen! Lee Plenty was scruffy, but what I liked about this character is that he had a full sense of himself. That was attractive! He was aware of his shortcomings and he also had confidence and and a great sense of humor about himself. I especially liked the way that the character Hav thought she could wrap Lee around her finger, I get the impression that she thought she was a little better than he, but she couldn't deny the attraction she felt. It was interesting to watch her simultaneously be attracted and repelled. The other characters, the friend and the sister who wanted to have her way with Lee made for an interesting and funny (not as in side splittingly hilarious, but as in sweet mixed with smart) weekend. I think it's a smart movie.

Lee Plenty is house sitting for his friend Hav Savage. The pair have a frosty relationship but also have slight crushes on each other. When Hav invites Lee down to her parent's house in Washington for New Years eve he travels down but finds himself involved in the lives of all the women under that roof. Every time he tries to leave something comes up.

The plot of this film is a little vague to say the least – it is really based on real life so the rambling story can be excused. It even has a story within a story and finishes with a point that's hard to understand in context of the true story context. However that's not to say that it is without charm, despite not moving in one clear direction it is quite nice. The relationships between all the main characters are quite witty and involving – making the story good despite it's weakness.

The cats are generally good. I felt that Cherot did well as a writer and director but as an actor his performance wasn't good enough to carry the film. His mugging is quite irritating at times and makes it hard to believe that anyone would fall for his `charms'. In fairness he's not terrible but someone else could have done it better. Maxwell is frosty, sexy and vulnerable all at the same time and is really good in an initially unlikable character. Similarly her sister Leigh (played by Lee) is cute and does well with a complex role. The cameos in the movie within the movie are also quality but only really for laughs – Nia Long, Lauryn Hill, Mekhi Phiffer and TLC's Chilli.

Overall this struggles from a narrative that lacks direction and a lead star who maybe thinks he's funnier than he is. But the overall film is witty and charming, the cast are young and sexy and interesting and it's nice to see a black comedy that doesn't have the terrible Master P in it!