Hello Everyone, Janet W. here…
We’ve seen this storyline before. Four friends come together, experience a separation, reconnect and hijinks abound. In Girls Trip, Ryan (Regina Hall), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), Sasha (Queen Latifah), and Dina (Tiffany Haddish) met in college, became the Flossy Posse and were thick as thieves. Then life happened and disrupted their efforts to stay close. An opportune event, New Orleans’ Essence Festival, changes all of that…
Girls Trip’s cinematography is definitely up close and personal, but Malcolm D. Lee does a great job of capturing the “crazy” from various angles and evolving shots. The soundtrack is amazing! New Edition, P Diddy, Neo, Mariah Carey, and more, the performances were energetic. They even did a shout out to Set It Off, which if you remember starred both Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith.
The cast is wonderful. I first saw Hall in The Best Man (just like candy!) and Love & Basketball, but it wasn’t until the Scary Movie films that I realized she was a hoot. She was really good in the Think Like a Man series, too. She’s genuine and you instantly believe her performances. My appreciation for Pinkett Smith goes WAY back to my teen years. I remember first seeing her in the TV series A Different World and films such as Menace II Society and Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (one of my faves). It was Jason’s Lyric that Pinkett Smith revealed her dramatic range. Also, she really showed out in the Matrix series as an action star. Next, her “boss” performance in Magic Mike XXL wowed me, you go, Girl! She spoke, dressed, and stunned with authority.
Queen Latifah inspired me when I was younger with songs like “U.N.I.T.Y.” and “Knowledge Is Power.” She also blazed the trail for plus size women. When she made the shift to film, I was ecstatic and she has yet to disappoint. Let’s see, there was House Party 2, Juice, the TV series Living Single, Living Out Loud, The Bone Collector, Bringing Down the House, and The Last Holiday. Like her fellow co-stars, Queen Latifah has a broad range of acting talent. I have a newfound cool comedic actress to watch for in Haddish. That girl is so crazy! This is my first exposure to her antics, but you may recognize her from The Carmichael Show. She is about to blow up for sure.
Overall, Girls Trip was enjoyably raunchy and has a great message. Yes it is very predictable, but there is such an abundance of “crazy” that you won’t care, I promise. It has scenes that are vulgar with language and nudity, but that is why it is rated R. WARNING: This is highly sexual, so please do not bring your children. Do you know what “grapefruiting” is? You will after watching this film. Hall, Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, and Haddish are the best time since Parker, Cattrall, Davis, and Nixon (Sex in the City, Special!). So, gather the your girls, your posse, and roll into your nearest theater for a great Girls WOMEN’s Night Out (Doesn’t have the same effect does it?)!
PREDICTABLE, BUT YOU WON’T CARE!!
Janet L. White
Your friendly straightforward neighborhood critic