Call me too old-fashioned for this one…

About Last Night is a remake of a movie by the same name from 1986—a movie which I never saw in the first place.  So, I really cannot comment about how this remake differs or is similar to the original.  The obvious difference is that the remake features almost exclusively black actors.

What you think of this film will strongly depend on your personal values and morals.  For me, call me old-fashioned, and I certainly would freely admit it, but the movie doesn’t work for me because of the types of characters you see in the movie.  These are the sort of folks who have sex repeatedly with practical strangers and then, possibly, fall in love with that person.  Again, call me old-fashioned, but sex on the first date doesn’t seem like a great basis for a relationship.  And, it hardly can be called romance—which is a problem if you’re making a romantic comedy—and it’s a problem if you’re looking for a wider audience.

About Last Night
Directed by
Steve Pink
Cast
Kevin Hart, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall
Release Date
14 February 2014
Martin’s Grade: D+

Many folks just won’t go to this sort of film nor would they find this romantic.  Additionally, while some of the comments and situations Kevin Hart and Regina Hall engage in are pretty funny, mostly I felt offended at their very, very callous way they talked about intimacy.  A little cursing doesn’t bother me, but for them, all they seemed to talk about was sex—and in the most graphic and unromantic ways possible.  It made me dislike their characters and I really didn’t care what happened to them.  I felt similarly towards the couple played by Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant.  While they were not crude and sexually obsessed in their day-to-day language like the other couple, they were not exactly the models of virtue.  Sex the first night they met?  You betcha.  And, for a while, they had sex repeatedly before even deciding whether or not they should date!  Again, call me old-fashioned, but I am the type guy who would bring a woman flowers and treat her with respect with a woman I first met instead of wondering the next day whether I had contracted some STD.

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So whether you like the film will probably depend on if you want a raunchy rom-com or not.  If you do, there are aspects of the film that are enjoyable—such as some of the acting and situations.  But, if you want a great date night movie, you probably could do better if you’re looking for true romance.  I think it’s important I interject morality into my review, as too often this aspect of a film is ignored in reviews and potential viewers should know this in order to make an informed choice.  Plus, my attitude about sex might explain why I have been very happily married for 28 years and counting—I can’t see this as being nearly as likely with couples like I saw in About Last Night.

As always, I welcome your feedback—and assume I’ll be getting some about this particular film.

Review by Lead Entertainment Writer & Film Critic, Martin Hafer

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