If it weren't for the solid screen presence of Queen Latifah, there'd be no reason to stick with the utterly mechanical "Just Wright."
This romance is as stale as last week's bagel.
Latifah plays Leslie Wright (yes, it's an awful title), a New York physical therapist unlucky in love. Even if a guy is interested in Leslie, he defects upon meeting her gorgeous, gold-digging cousin, Morgan (Paula Patton).
Michael Elliot's screenplay centers on Leslie's chance encounter with NBA star Scott McKnight (Common), who invites her to a party at his plush townhouse. Of course, she brings along the fortune-trolling Morgan, who immediately attracts Scott's attention.
Hurt but keeping a stiff upper lip, Leslie applauds her cousin's romantic success.
When Scott suffers a career-threatening injury, though, the shallow Morgan sees her dream evaporating and bails. Meanwhile, Leslie steps in as his therapist, trainer and … well, see if you can guess.
Latifah and Patton are fine. Rapper-turned-actor Common seems comfortable with the camera but hasn't yet developed much range.
The real villain, though, is the cliché-riddled script and the boring direction of Sanaa Hamri ("Something New," "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2"). By the time this one is through, you'll be groaning louder than Common going through a killer rehab session.
"Just Wright"
Our grade: C-
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Running Time: 99 minutes
MPAA rating: PG
Release Date: May 14, 2010
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
