But act like a fool
From what I can tell, the purpose of Steve Harvey’s book Act like a lady, think like a man It was giving women advice on relationships from a male perspective, which in turn would help them find the right man. While I have no opinion on his wise words, I have a thing or two to say about Think like a man, a film that injects Harvey’s book into the plot of a romantic comedy. Silly and uninspired, she doesn’t analyze her concepts in a plausible and satisfactory way; Instead, he applies them to fabricated vignettes in which the men are immature brats and the women are scheming and manipulative. There is no truth in any of the characters in this movie. They serve primarily as relief from comedy, nonsense that they make us laugh at rather than with.
Taking place in Los Angeles, the film is essentially a series of interconnected subplots, all examining the relationships between specific categories of men and women. Steve Harvey makes continuous appearances on television screens in homes and bars for the specific purpose of promoting his book; Intrigued, the women decide to buy a copy and apply whatever advice they get to the men in their lives. At first, men give up. Then one of them finds out what their women are up to, prompting them to buy the book and try to beat them at their own game. And so we must go through a childish and implausible battle of wits before reaching a conclusion so neatly gift-wrapped that it appears to have been transplanted from a third-rate sitcom.
Here’s a rundown of the couples featured in this movie. There’s a real estate agent named Kristen (Gabrielle Union) and her boyfriend, Jeremy (Jerry Ferrara), who still hasn’t asked the question after nine years of being with her. Not only is she eager to motivate him to apply for a job he’s qualified for, but she also wants him to save her collection of sci-fi memorabilia so she can redecorate to her heart’s content. This would include ditching your sofa, which has a colorful history to say the least. There’s Mya (Meagan Good), who’s fed up with one-night stands and decides to try Harvey’s ninety-day plan with her new boyfriend, Zeke (Romany Malco). This will not be easy for you; a smooth talker who knows all the good pickup lines, he’s an unapologetic lottery who has nothing in mind other than sex.
There is a caterer named Dominic (Michael Ealy) who is known for his lofty dreams. His current dream is to be a chef and, in fact, he has a talent for cooking. In his life comes Lauren (Taraji P. Henson), a powerful executive who wants a man with a six-figure income and his own sense of power. Desperate to impress her, Dominic tells her that he is already a chef and is deciding between two restaurant deals. And then there’s Candace (Regina Hall), a single mom and Lauren’s best friend. She begins dating a man named Michael (Terrence J), who is dominated by his mother (Jenifer Lewis). It goes without saying that no woman is good enough for her child, much less a single mother. By the way, Candace’s son, though perhaps too curious, gets along splendidly with Michael.
Cedric (Kevin Hart), who acts as the narrator and the annoying fifth character, spends most of the movie acting like a fool and making fun of Zeke. He is in the process of finalizing his divorce from his mostly invisible wife and claims to be much better for it. The five guys are friends and spend most of their time in a bar or on a basketball court, where (you guessed it) they waste much of their energy complaining about the women in their lives. A superfluous man played by comedian Gary Owen, who has no real purpose other than to be the target of racial slurs appropriate to those under 13, keeps popping up. There’s even time for completely unnecessary cameo appearances from NBA players Metta World Peace, Shannon Brown, and Matt Barnes. Former WNBA player Lisa Leslie joins them to successfully castrate top stars in a basketball game.
You already know how I am. I’m usually the first to pass up a romantic comedy, simply because I accept it as nothing more than a fantasy. But in this case, something went wrong. Think like a man considers genuine relationship advice to be the food for a series of stupid jokes. The characters are so superficial that it is as if the writers Keith Marryman and David A. Newman know absolutely nothing about men or women. From what I know, maybe they really don’t. Whenever Harvey appears on one of the many conveniently located televisions, he always gives advice; each had the potential to be applied to a complex and suggestive vignette, in which the characters have a little more depth. How sad that your book served as the basis for a movie that shows no interest in real relationships.
