tumblr_mz7r3gTo9E1siksceo1_1280About Last Night (ALN) was an extra special treat for my Valentine’s weekend. Not only did I get to look at Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy for two hours, but I loved the soundtrack, AND I laughed my ass off! I wondered how this remake was going to go. I reviewed the 1986 ALN last year for our ’80s Valentine’s Love Fest. This version is so much raunchier, but so was the play Sexual Perversity in Chicago, which both films are adapted from. Well, I am very impressed.

I don’t want to do a compare/contrast review, so I will get it out now. I like that they kept the names and characteristics of best friends Bernie (Kevin Hart) & Danny (Michael Ealy), and best friends/roommates Joan (Regina Hall) & Debbie (Joy Bryant). I also liked the modernizing of the movie. I am an ’80s girl! I usually dislike remakes. But this remake kind of paid homage to the 1986 ALN. The new film kept Danny’s love of softball; they just changed the team to the L.A. Dodgers. I also like the details about Danny’s relationship with bar owner Casey (Christopher McDonald).

About the falling in love…
The movie opened up with a funky song, Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine by James Brown, which was appropriate for the opening dialogue between best friends, Bernie and Danny. They were waiting for the ladies, Debbie and Joan (Bernie’s previous night’s hook up) to show up for drinks. There is simultaneous dialogue happening on the way to the club by the ladies and inside the club (with the guys). I was laughing so hard as Bernie told Danny that he had “whiskey dick” last night. He had drunk so much that it was hard for him to get an erection. I love that the two couples had equal screen time. Bernie and Joan were the wild ones, while Debbie and Danny were calm and laid back, not really interested. They were too busy watching Bernie and Joan getting drunk and acting obnoxious. It wasn’t until Bernie and Joan went to the restroom (to bump and grind) that Debbie and Danny actually spoke each other. It was this conversation that led to a passionate night of making love, but an awkward morning after. The film shows the conflicts that arise when the individuals try to make a one-night stand into a love affair. Both couples struggle to communicate what being in love means to them.

tumblr_n04q3ykZ8l1siksceo1_1280About getting to 3rd base….
The sex scenes are ultra sexy. The formula is a mix of handsome but an equal amount of beautiful, add a cup of sexy, a pinch of laughter, and then mix it with the intimacy. Yum, Yum, I want second helpings. When Debbie and Danny are in the tub and he kisses her knees… I just about cried. There is nothing more endearing than a man polishing your toes or pillow talking while in the tub. There are a plethora of sex scenes: on the table, in the public bathroom stall, dressed as a chicken, in the bed, etc. Debbie and Danny’s scenes are intensely passionate, while Bernie and Joan’s are wild and raunchy.

I’ll never forget the clucking sex scene with Bernie and Joan. I thought I was going to get kicked out of the theater from laughing and yelling, “Oh shit!”…so hilarious. Both couples deliver a good time!

tumblr_mz7qblG1zu1siksceo1_400About the Move-in…
The move-in happens fairly fast. Danny is the one that insinuates that Debbie is already there everyday. Unfortunately, they move in together before they ever go out on a real date. The typical things happened such as: she “pretties” the apartment, they have more home cooked meals than take out, they argue but enjoy making up, and they spend less time with friends. Bernie and Joan are totally outraged by the move-in and are outspoken in giving unsolicited advice… disastrous. Danny and Debbie also have outside temptations from their exes, Steven (Adam Rodriquez) and Alison (Paula Patton).

About the friendships…
The girlfriend conversations were what I call “real talk.” When black women talk with their girlfriends, it’s very open, no holding back. We discuss stuff in detail. I felt that the film depicted real-talk dialogue. I’m not a man, but I’ve been around enough black men to know that although Bernie was vulgar, he wasn’t far off the mark regarding real conversations between friends. I definitely would have appreciated a few less “bitches” and “pussy,” but Bernie’s character was meant to be shocking. The film depicted the strong friendships despite the love taking place, with scenes like the ladies in the gym and the guys in a pool. Black people are rarely shown swimming in movies. Yes, we do swim… hahaha!

1108148-nightAbout the break up…
There were many things that could have constituted the break up. They had a fragile relationship with little trust, they weren’t “having fun,” their friends were whispering in their ears, and many other things. But I think the ultimate problem was that Danny was in transition. He left a job he hated, but wasn’t initially clear on what he was going to do with himself. Danny and Debbie were not secure enough to communicate honestly. They spent more time making love than discussing important issues in their relationship. Debbie confronts Danny about whether he loved her or if she was just “one long one-night stand.” It’s his indifference and unresponsiveness that has her move out and not look back.

About the end…
The ending starts with the surprise reuniting of Bernie and Joan. Their romance is silly and sexy, but laced with deep feelings. Kevin Hart shows some depth as an actor. Part of the draw to this remake is the intelligent casting. With a little honing and a serious lead role, I think he might just cross over like fellow comedians Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey.

About Last Night Poster (2)Debbie and Danny discover that they should give it another try, but go slow. The scene at the end where Bernie and Joan are talking shit about Debbie and Danny (and just laughing in general), is truly funny. It appears to be a little improvised because the smiles and laughter are genuine and unfiltered. This is one of my new favorite romantic comedies. Not because it’s the greatest romance ever written, but because it’s funny, sexy, genuinely sweet, and has hella fine actors and actresses. I don’t exactly know… there was just… something about this movie!

About Our Black Love Fest…
I was going to rank the movies in the order that I loved them, but I just can’t. They were enjoyable for different reasons.

Brown Sugar showcased the brilliant metaphor between music and falling in love.
Love Jones was Grown-Up Sexy and artistically stimulating.
Something New was well written and showed some of the real issues of interracial love.
Love & Basketball was sweet and endearing and identified ongoing social issues with women and sexism.
About Last Night was fun and upbeat. It just made me laugh and feel good!

I hope that you don’t just take our word for it. Please go out and enjoy this film and rent the others. My new rule is to see “Black” Romantic comedies on opening weekend, so that Hollywood will understand the importance of having movies that showcase the color of love. Maybe one day romantic comedies won’t have to be identified as black or white, but just romantic comedies. Until then, I have no problem with enjoying a screen full of beautiful black men and the showcasing of a good sister-friend relationship.

Don’t forget to join us next year for our 3rd Annual Valentine’s Love Fest. Who knows what we’ll come up with by next year!

FUN FACTS:

  • About Last Night is a remake of the 1986 movie About Last Night…, which is a film adaptation of David Mamet’s play Sexual Perversity in Chicago.
  • Hart, Ealy, and Hall were in Think Like a Man together (a definite must see).
  • Kevin Hart joined his fans in New Orleans for the premiere of ALN, and gave out free popcorn and soda.