Rupture mode d'emploi

Breakin' All the Rules presents the worst part about dating (never mind that it's a stupid concept): that some people believe there are rules, or make up their own.

If you accept that, all in all, it's a funny movie. The story is inventive, even if there's no big surprise. Jamie Foxx plays a very attaching love broken man, the beautiful Gabrielle Union gives us a nice balancing act of sweet, smart, and upset, and both of them are really hot together. Morris Chestnut is great as a wingman, Jennifer Esposito looks born to play the gold digger, and Peter MacNicol seems to have found the sweet spot of the clueless desperate rich media owner.

Some of the acting is over done a bit, especially the psychotic character played by Bianca Lawson. Jamie seems to push his suave a bit too far at time, just as Morris does.

It's good entertainment if you accept the limitation and the subject.

I never really had much to say in the way of Jamie Foxx prior to his recent break out in roles ie. Collateral and although I haven't seen it yet I have no doubt his performance in "Ray" will further my opinions of him. He's a great character actor and possibly on his way to being the caliber of such great African American performers as Denzel Washington and Will Smith. His role in Collateral was scene stealing and up against Tom Cruise's Oscar worth performance it was a challenge but he impressed me. Then comes this fun little romantic comedy. A very different change of pace for Foxx but he pulls it off flawlessly in a amusing, and fun to watch film.

Breakin All The Rules is about an editor turned author who is dumped by his model girlfriend (Bianca Lawson) and during his fit of depression ends up writing a guide to breaking up with people...the right way. His cousin and best friend played perfectly by Morris Chestnut is a womanizer who doesn't believe in these rules until he sees them in action. The book makes Quincy famous, but unlucky in love until he meets the perfect woman in a case of mistaken identity and falls for her. It just so happens she is the latest girlfriend of his cousin who is also in love with her.

The comedy in this film relies heavily on the old formula of mistaken identities, and mix ups in happenings, reminds me of the old Three's Company episodes. The film also relies heavily on the personalities of the characters. The womanizer, the nice misunderstood main character guy, the stuck up model ex girlfriend, the "perfect" woman, and the other supporting characters make the film brilliant. The film is full of former TV sitcom actors which perhaps makes sense being it does play out like an episode of a sitcom but really what is wrong with that? Peter MacNichol of Ally McBeal fame plays his usual character but always fun to watch. He's the perfect blend of superiority while being completely inferior. Leading lady played by Gabrielle Union goes with both Foxx and Chestnut's character and she does a great job. Previously seen as her role on Friends, I was never fond of her although I liked her character in 10 Things I Hate About You and she's had some other great roles. She was perfect for her role in this film. Jennifer Esposito makes a fun little addition to the cast as the slightly psycho girlfriend/fiancée of MacNichol's character. The cast just works so well together and the film is written in such a way that you can't help but enjoy it's simplicity.

I enjoy what everyone on the message board calls "Black Cinema" but this is one of the best because it's still very mainstream without losing the culture. Overall this is a fun film to check out a Saturday night, it's not too heavy but is satisfying and cliché'd which sometimes is a good thing.

7/10

seems to me that this is where they got the idea for HITCH. this is a very good movie, funny, sarcastic, witty. jamie foxx is terrific, so is gabrielle union. i like the way that they wrote the story, the way that they set it up where the one person doesn't know what the other one is doing, and that they think that it's another person, i guess you just have to watch it to see what i mean. i think in real life that the "break up" book would be very helpful to a lot of people. now granted this isn't an action movie, so don't expect action, what however you should expect is a lot of laughs, and i don't mean a little, i mean tons of laughs, this movie will keep you in stitches the whole entire time,, my fav. character of course was the dog,, trying to get through the doggie door, then peeing when he get's stuck in the door , i thought that was cute.

Finally a film, screenplay, and filmmaker who has the guts to portrays a young, hip, black man as something more than an extra in a rap video or a mindless athlete. Sure, the characters in this film are hopeless man-whores but so are most single 20-something and 30-something men.

Jamie Foxx proves he has the charisma to carry a picture other than a "zany" comedy. I look forward to his serious role in the upcoming Micheal Mann film.

It's about time Hollywood stopped patronizing and insulting the young black male by casting them only as athletes and gangsters. The dialogue was certainly a bit trite at times and the direction and cinematography was just so-so.

Daniel Tablitz's 'Breakin' All the Rules' has some genuinely funny moments. It's not a classic but most of it is quite enjoyable. It sticks to the main point. I liked the idea that the main character is a man who's writing a self-help book about broken relationships. Usually such characters are played by women so this felt fresh and cool. The problem is that some of the jokes lose their touch as they are too stretched out but the confusion and mistaken identity bits were quite funny. The film highly depends on its cast. Jamie Foxx is a natural performer where comedy is concerned thus here is no exception. The cute Gabrielle Union is decent but she doesn't convince in the sequences where Nicky's angry. Moreover the chemistry between her and Foxx seems more as though they are friends rather than two people who are strongly attracted to each other. Jennifer Esposito springs a surprise as a semi-dominatrix seductress. Morris Chestnut does not impress and Peter MacNicol is alright. Bianca Lawson provides a few chuckles as the bitchy girlfriend. Overall, this isn't among the funniest movies but it may be worth giving a chance on a relaxed evening. For me the most hilarious sequences were Helen's irritation with Quincy's dog and what Quincy does to 'solve' the problem, the party sequence where all 6 of the lead cast come together for a showdown, Nicky and Mr. Lynch...and there are a few more.