RENT CONTROL: Should You Watch “Just Wright” Tonight?

‘Just Wright’ comes out today on DVD/Blu-Ray.  If Common didn’t convince you to catch it in theaters maybe it might make it onto your date rental agenda.

In this modern day meets the NBA romantic comedy, Queen Latifah plays Leslie Wright a single, tomboyish physical therapist looking for love. One night at a gas station, she meets handsome ball player Scott McKnight (Common) who shares her love of Nina Simone and jazz. The fly in the ointment comes in the form of Leslie’s beautiful but cunning god-sister, Morgan Alexander. Morgan makes gold-digging an art form.

Rounding out the cast are Phylicia Rashad, Pam Grier, James Pickens, and cameos by real-life NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard.

REASONS TO WATCH

PAULA PATTON—you know the saying “When God gave out beauty he gave with two hands”—looking at Patton, it’s safe to say she won the triple bonus round. But Patton is more than just a gorgeous face; she is a talented actress with an enviable resume. Besides her role as a nurturing teacher in last year’s ‘Precious’, she joins the cast of ‘Law & Order SVU’ as the new ADA, and just landed a plum role in the upcoming ‘Mission Impossible 4’ film.

MEHCAD BROOKS—If the name doesn’t ring a bell, it soon will. Audiences may remember Mehcad as Melanie’s Plan B hottie, Jerome from ‘The Game’ or as the sexy but homicidal Eggs on ‘True Blood.’ But in Just Wright he’s Scott McKnight’s best friend and teammate.

PHYLICIA RASHAD & PAM GRIER–How can you go wrong when you have two women like this playing mothers? Rashad is in all of her Claire Huxtable-type splendor as Common’s doting mother and Pam Grier gives Latifah all of her man-catching expertise. Co-Star James Pickens, Jr. had ball on set with them both. [CLICK TO WATCH HIS INTERVIEW HERE]

SOUNDTRACK- It’s a shame that movie studios don’t release actual soundtracks to films any longer because this one would be a must-have for the booty call playlist. Sultry cuts from Van Hunt, Vikter Duplaix, Kevin Michael and Mos Def help give the film a sex gloss even when the actors fail to. [click here to download the songs]

DVD EXTRAS— Check out the hilarious ‘Gag Reel’ where Queen Latifah is far from the eloquent MC that we know her to be and trips over her lines like a clumsy referee. In ‘Common on the Fast Break’  our favorite b-boy discusses his love of basketball.

VERDICT—‘Just Wright’ may not join the ranks of romantic classics like ‘Love Jones’ and ‘Love and Basketball’, but it does have its good points. The inspirational messages of inner beauty and ‘good girls finish last’ is worth the purchase-or at least a rental.

Just Wright’s James Pickens Loves Foxy Brown [VIDEO]

Common Gives Five Reasons To See “Just Wright”