The Best Man
★★★ 1/2
An amazing ensemble of actors can elevate a film's material and that is what this group does for The Best Man. The plot in itself is a soap opera, but director/writer Malcolm D. Lee creates characters that are easily identifiable and easy to connect to. In some ways, the cast comes off as caricatures, but I think that is needed in a comedy. This movie would not have been as enjoyable if Lee left them at that, but Lee adds a complicated depth to everyone. At times, I wasn't sure who I was rooting for because there was a shady side that was exposed in almost all the characters, but the more I reflected on that, the more that made me like this film. Lee is asking for us to root for the whole group, not just "the best man." In life, nobody is perfect, and Lee asks us to acknowledge that and grow from there.
The way that Lee captures the dynamics among this group of guy friends (Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Harold Perrineau and Terrence Howard) is dead on. The dialogue and vibe between the group were very familiar to me and showed the interesting dynamic of so many conflicting personalities. Although not as a congealed group like the men, I enjoyed the different dynamics of the female characters as they have to navigate the drama elicited by romance and sex from the groomsmen. Nia Long as Jordan is the standout, but Sanaa Lathan, Monica Calhoun, Melissa De Sousa and Regina Hall all stand out as independent women who have their shit together.
There are moments of rigidness with the camera and interactions, and there are definitely some clichéd plot points that you see coming from a mile away, but Lee interweaves this romantic tale with sincere takes on faith and religion that are both surprising and challenging. If anything, you enjoy spending time with this group of friends (although I do question some character's actions by the end of the movie). It's no surprise to me that this film spawned off sequels because ever since I finished this film, I've been tempted to watch them just so I can feel like an observer of drama that seems to emerge from this eclectic group.
