Taraji P. Henson is such a versatile actress. For example, in the span of under a year, she was explosive in the true tale Best of Enemies and wickedly funny in the gender-swapped remake of What Women Want, What Men Want—out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download formats.
Henson is Ali Davis, a revered Atlanta-based sports agent who has been excelling at her job for years, but also banging her head against that proverbial glass ceiling that is keeping her from becoming a partner at the firm she calls home. She’s very much a driven woman who has not had time, nor the mental space, to find someone to love. At work, she is passed over for a partnership and when she confronts her boss (former NFL star Brian Bosworth), he informs her that she is great at “staying in her lane” and that is where she should stay. “Staying in her lane is code for solely representing female athletes. Ali doesn’t believe her ears, so—ever the success motivated soul—she presses her boss for further explanation. He puts it simply that she is not good with men.
Judging by her romance life and her client list, Ali starts to wonder if there is some truth to that. Lucky for her, she and her pals are having a Bachelorette night out for her soon-to-be-married best friend. As part of the fete, a tarot card reader (played by scene stealer Erykah Badu) has been tapped to read all the ladies’ fortunes. During Ali’s she is told to drink some tea and that its herbs and other assorted ingredients, will help her focus on garnering everything she wants out of life.
As is the case with the film that What Men Want is based on, What Women Want—starring Mel Gibson—Ali walks away from her rocking party evening with the most unusual of gifts, she can hear men’s thoughts. At first, she is freaked out, but then discovers that this could be the answer to her wishes. She uses this new power to try to earn more respect at work, break that glass ceiling and even finding someone to love in the process.
Knowing how comedies works, I’m sure you already know that things do not go as smoothly as Ali would like.
What Men Want is an interesting take on the subject and the headline here is Henson. She dazzles in every facet of this battle of the sexes farce. It is the most unique of roles for the Oscar nominated actress in that so much of what drives the drama and the comedy emits from her face as those voices inside men’s head become voices inside her head as well. Watching the actress, at the early stages of this newfound power, is an absolute delight. It is played for laughs, of course, but one cannot help but identify with her character. Remember in Bruce when all those prayers ricocheting around Jim Carrey’s head almost drove him mad? Well, it’s like that for Henson faces a similar dilemma and it makes for fantastic comedy. For example, she’s at an Atlanta Hawks game trying to woo a client in one scene and … you guessed it, thousands of voices in her head has her figuratively pulling her hair out.
Henson is joined in a solid cast by love interest Scott (Paul David Johnson), Josh Brener’s Brandon nails it as her assistant whose aspirations go way beyond fetching coffee and maintaining Ali’s schedule. Twilight hunk Kellan Lutz gets a rare role as a neighbor who Ali has the hots for, while Max Greenfield (New Girl) does a decent job as a fellow agent at Ali’s firm. Tracy Morgan continues to show he is an all-star supporting player. The supporting cast member who dazzles above all else is Richard Roundtree! Yes, the original Shaft portrays Ali’s father and their scenes together are among the best in the flick.
Bonus features are quite simple, but for a comedy like this, the number of them and their running time, is pitch perfect. The Dream Team is a solid, 15-minute, look at the film’s rich diversity and the qualities that helmer Adam Shankman brought to the film that celebrated, encouraged and spotlighted the patchwork of souls that comprised the cast and specifically, how that richness elevated the material.
Flipping the Narrative is a terrific featurette, but also a surprising one as well. Rarely does a remake or a reboot or whatever you want to call it take the time to put a bonus feature on its home video release to address the elephant in the moviemaking room. Lately, remakes or redoes have been getting a bad name and anointed a “cash grab.” This bonus featurette illustrates why the time was right to update the Gibson starring flick for a modern age, as well as swap its gender to reflect this sensational surge in female power in our society.
A delightful featurette arrives with What Do Men Want? Hearing what the cast and crew have to say about the titular question is pure joy. Speaking of joy, Poker Night spotlights the making of the “poker scene” that truly serves as a game changer for Ali in her quest for partnership. Sitting around the poker table is a who’s-who of sports stars, as well as Ali’s fellow agents. Going behind the scenes of this scene is insightful and wholeheartedly entertaining.
Ali + Athletes shows off the athletic talent that producer Will Packer got to appear in this film about … well, sports agents!
Badu blazes a trail that is brilliant on so many levels and her performance gets the A-list look with Sister Spills the Tea Infomercial—which is exactly as it sounds and its magnificent.
Film grade: B
Bonus features: B