Review by Siobhán Rich for Mr. Will Wong
Some movies should be watched with a group of friends in a theatre full of people laughing uproariously. Girls Trip is one of those movies. Packed with more celebrity cameos than an entire season of SNL, this hilarious Movie from Director Malcolm D. Lee is one of the most delightful comedies of the year.
Ryan (Regina Hall), a successful author and motivational speaker, has been selected as the keynote speaker for Essence Fest in New Orleans and is using the opportunity to reunite with her best friends from college, the Flossy Posse: Sasha (Queen Latifah), a promising journalist turned celebrity gossip blogger, Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), a divorced single mother, and free spirit Dina (a scene-stealing Tiffany Haddish). During their long weekend the four friends tackle love, loss, honesty, and trust and reform the bonds of sisterhood.
In a pleasant change, the women of Girls Trip aren’t fighting over a man but rather fighting against one in support of their friend. Luke Cage’s Mike Colter is cast as the roguishly-loathsome Stewart, Ryan’s philandering husband whom she seems incapable of leaving. The girls rally time and again for Ryan to see the light as she faces many of common issues of self-worth when faced with the idea of a life without her husband.
Screenwriters Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver have teamed up again to create likeable characters audiences will be able to relate to. Everyone has an obnoxious Dina in their group or a Sasha who always feels not quite good enough. Rather than creating unrealistic conflict like other movies, Girls Trip keeps the drama relevant so any audiences can fully empathize with the quartet of ladies.
While the four characters serve various tropes the women the Movie never seems diminished by them. Yes, Lisa’s wallflower needs to burst out of her shell and Ryan’s has-it-all image must crumble but the predictability doesn’t make the audience cheer for them any less. And rest assured you will be clapping and cheering for these women. Although some of the jokes go on a tad too long and the outcome is somewhat predictable, the road these ladies travel is well-written and makes the audience want to go along for the journey.
The authentic chemistry between the four actresses sells this Movie and will leave audiences wishing they too were part of the Flossy Posse. So, grab your best girlfriends and join Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina on their incredibly-entertaining Girls Trip.
Universal Pictures Canada release GIRLS TRIP on Friday, July 21, 2017.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com