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Back Shelf Beauties
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Guess Who Plenty of people will get all upset about Guess Who's more irreverent and comedic take on the classic film Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. The original was a classic and one of history's most important films. However, why get all bent out of shape? If you want to see the original, and I hope some people will become interested in it because of Guess Who, go ahead and rent it. Guess Who is a different movie with an unfortunate, slightly exploitive title. Ashton Kutcher stars as Simon - a successful investment advisor in New York. He's white. His girlfriend, Theresa (Zoe Saldana), is black. Together, they are traveling to New Jersey for her parents' 25th wedding anniversary party, so Theresa can introduce him to the family, but no one knows Simon is white. How will her father, Percy (Bernie Mac), take it? How about the rest of the relatives? Guess Who works best when it isn't centered on the white vs. black comedy, but focuses on standard family comedy and those uncomfortable moments we all face in such a pressure filled situation. The movie's best scenes feature Mac and Kutcher playing their roles as the intimidated young suitor and the protective, loving father butting heads, bantering back and forth, and catching each other in lies. Writers David Ronn, Jay Scherick and Peter Tolan set up some funny and familiar situations, which allow Mac and Kutcher to go with it and make the comedy the best they can. However, one is better than the other. Bernie Mac is one of the funniest men in entertainment today, and you will thoroughly enjoy his take on the frustrated husband/protective father. He has a wonderful way of phrasing his lines and adjusting his attitude to hit the right comedic mark time and time again in different and interesting ways, even when Percy needs to be more serious or romantic. On the other hand, Kutcher takes too much time to find his stride. Early in the film, he doesn't seem to have enough life and spunk in him to make the comedy work, but he finds his footing and perks up about an hour into it. After the halfway point, Kutcher and Mac become a better comic team, start to play off each other, and make you laugh until the end. Director Kevin Rodney Sullivan shows a tender, wise guiding hand when approaching possible hot button, controversial jokes, especially a bordering-on-painful dinner scene full of racist jokes. He keeps the action and plot moving along, and knows he has to let Mac and Kutcher drive the movie. Guess Who is funny enough to see this weekend. 2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) Copyright 2005 - WaffleMovies.com
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