Think Like a Man (2012)

 

An American ensemble romantic comedy that is based on Steve Harvey's book 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man' where Harvey gives advice for women on how to deal with men in relationships.  We follow four women who after reading Harvey's book decided to put his advice into practise which works out fairly well for them until the men figure it out and start using the book advice against them. 

 

 



 

 

Think Like a Man (2012)

Director: Tim Story
Starring: Michael Ealy, Jerry Ferrara, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Jenkins, Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco and Gabrielle Union.
Running Time: 122 Minutes

There is no escaping that this film is based on a book by Steve Harvey as the viewer is reminded of this fact time and time again as Harvey pops up every ten minutes or so for another tid bit of wisdom to share with the group.  We first see Harvey as a guest on a talk show explaining the premise of his book which spurs a mad shopping spree as every woman just has to have it.  Unfortunately this emphasis on Harvey's book is what limits the film as the cast are brilliant and work well with what they have been given but are limited by their categorisations such as 'The Dreamer' or 'The Mama's Boy' as if this is their whole identity.  People are complex and have many aspects of their personality so the main issue, when you subjugate them to a single category, is you simplify them to one part of their identity and limit the actors exploration of the character.  This leads to a superficial one dimensional characters and so you lose the emotional depth of the narrative. 

The cast is quite impressive and come across as authentic in their portrayals which is no small task as the female characters change their whole mindset just after reading a book.  It is hard to believe that after reading one book these women would change their whole outlook but the actresses do their best to make it believable.  They are also very attractive and so unlikely they would need to work so hard to get a man but the film is about getting the RIGHT man.  Each storyline holds their own interest you have Kristen who wants her boyfriend of nine years to propose, Mya who is fed up of one night stands and wants a real relationship, Candace the single mum and her best friend Lauren who is looking for a man to meet her high standards.  Then you have the men who are all friends with each other and have their own very different desires.  You have Michael the dreamer who dates Lauren, Jeremy the non-committer boyfriend of Kristen, Michael the mama's boy dating Candace and finally the player Zeke who has to battle Mya's 90 day rule to get some.  Topping off the cast you have Cedric played by Kevin Hart who is very funny as the soon to be divorced guy, he is loud and obnoxious but ultimately a good friend and the film's narrator. 

The narrative is nothing new as it is anything but original.  It is one of those films you could tell someone the key plot points before even popping the DVD into the machine.  However, it is an enjoyable watch and far superior to similar titles on offer such as He's Just Not That Into You from 2009.  Think Like a Man is almost a Black version of He's Just Not That Into You as you have the exploration of relationships at different stages again here but the main difference is that the cast bring these characters to life and connect with the audience, a detail that was sorely lacking in He's Just Not That Into You.

Final Verdict

Think Like a Man is nothing new as it is exactly what you'd expect but it meets those expectations with skill and humour.  The cast are great and they do their best with what they have to work with.  It's worth a watch on an evening where you just want to relax and be entertained for 2 hours without having to engage your brain. 

5/10