Deliver Us From Eva
2.5/4
Starring: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Duane Martin, Mel Jackson, Dartanyan Edwards, Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee, Meagan Good
Rated R for Sex-Related Dialogue
Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" is such a timeless story because it gives us the fantasy that even the most hardened of souls can be redeemed. Take Eva Dandridge, for instance. She can make a grown man cower simply by narrowing her eyes. This woman is not to be taken lightly. Which of course creates a problem for a couple guys she knows. Not to mention the man they hired to sweep her off her feet.
You see, Eva is one of the Dandridge sisters, and they're in serious relationships with three guys named Mike (Martin), Tim (Jackson) and Darrell (Edwards). But Eva is a type-A personality to the extreme, and a major impediment with all three couples. What she says goes, and that's the way it has always been. Fed up, they decide that Eva needs a man for herself (at least temporarily...what happens after they get what they want isn't their concern, or at least not something they thought about). So they hire the ultimate player, a cool cat named Ray (LL Cool J) to conquer the unconquerable. Things go awry when he ends up falling for his prey, and she for him.
"Deliver Us from Eva" is uneven to the extreme. When the movie concentrates on the romance between the hell in heels Eve and the super smooth Ray, it works. Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J are solid actors, and more importantly, they have something rare: real chemistry. The spark between the two ignites once they meet, and it isn't long after before it catches fire. I cared about them and wanted them to end up together. They also manage to save the lesser quality scenes they are occasionally given.
If only I could say the same thing about everyone else. Mike, Tim and Darrell are obnoxious and crude because in a movie like this, they're supposed to be. That's how this kind of thing works. But they're also jerks. It's hard to imagine what any of the Dandridge sisters see in these losers. When it came to them, my sympathies were more aligned with Eva. None of the actors playing them can be credited with giving adequate performances, either. That's more than can be said for Eva's sisters, who are just boring. Not to mention their serious codependency issues.
Still, this movie is mainly about Eva and Ray. Eva is, of course, not as bad as she seems. She's just held off on her dreams to raise her younger sisters and has become jaded by love. What's interesting is how Gabrielle Union allows us to see her vulnerability and awkwardness underneath the fiery exterior. She's quite good. LL Cool J doesn't have a particularly challenging role as the stud who finds a woman he truly cares for. But he's handsome and charismatic. Plus, he has one of those smiles that can make anyone lower their guard.
The screenplay is also troubled. On the one hand, it does have its share of clever bits. At one point, Darrell says, "Relax, Eva! We're just having sex! Eva fires back, "So I should come back in what, two minutes?" Her delivery makes it priceless. Ray's initial description of Eva's personality is also amusing. On the other, the scenes where the guys are plotting Eva's love affair are just awful. They seem to have been stolen from a really bad sitcom. LL Cool J's charisma keeps them watchable, but they should have been rewritten or recast. Preferably both. A screenplay with more wit and bite would have made this confection stronger and spicier.
You see what I mean. The film has moments when it gets the heart to soar, but you have to get through some real dreck to get there. Ultimately, I can only recommend this for a really undemanding Netlix movie night. And that's after you've watched all the other, better rom-coms.
Starring: Gabrielle Union, LL Cool J, Duane Martin, Mel Jackson, Dartanyan Edwards, Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee, Meagan Good
Rated R for Sex-Related Dialogue
Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew" is such a timeless story because it gives us the fantasy that even the most hardened of souls can be redeemed. Take Eva Dandridge, for instance. She can make a grown man cower simply by narrowing her eyes. This woman is not to be taken lightly. Which of course creates a problem for a couple guys she knows. Not to mention the man they hired to sweep her off her feet.
You see, Eva is one of the Dandridge sisters, and they're in serious relationships with three guys named Mike (Martin), Tim (Jackson) and Darrell (Edwards). But Eva is a type-A personality to the extreme, and a major impediment with all three couples. What she says goes, and that's the way it has always been. Fed up, they decide that Eva needs a man for herself (at least temporarily...what happens after they get what they want isn't their concern, or at least not something they thought about). So they hire the ultimate player, a cool cat named Ray (LL Cool J) to conquer the unconquerable. Things go awry when he ends up falling for his prey, and she for him.
"Deliver Us from Eva" is uneven to the extreme. When the movie concentrates on the romance between the hell in heels Eve and the super smooth Ray, it works. Gabrielle Union and LL Cool J are solid actors, and more importantly, they have something rare: real chemistry. The spark between the two ignites once they meet, and it isn't long after before it catches fire. I cared about them and wanted them to end up together. They also manage to save the lesser quality scenes they are occasionally given.
If only I could say the same thing about everyone else. Mike, Tim and Darrell are obnoxious and crude because in a movie like this, they're supposed to be. That's how this kind of thing works. But they're also jerks. It's hard to imagine what any of the Dandridge sisters see in these losers. When it came to them, my sympathies were more aligned with Eva. None of the actors playing them can be credited with giving adequate performances, either. That's more than can be said for Eva's sisters, who are just boring. Not to mention their serious codependency issues.
Still, this movie is mainly about Eva and Ray. Eva is, of course, not as bad as she seems. She's just held off on her dreams to raise her younger sisters and has become jaded by love. What's interesting is how Gabrielle Union allows us to see her vulnerability and awkwardness underneath the fiery exterior. She's quite good. LL Cool J doesn't have a particularly challenging role as the stud who finds a woman he truly cares for. But he's handsome and charismatic. Plus, he has one of those smiles that can make anyone lower their guard.
The screenplay is also troubled. On the one hand, it does have its share of clever bits. At one point, Darrell says, "Relax, Eva! We're just having sex! Eva fires back, "So I should come back in what, two minutes?" Her delivery makes it priceless. Ray's initial description of Eva's personality is also amusing. On the other, the scenes where the guys are plotting Eva's love affair are just awful. They seem to have been stolen from a really bad sitcom. LL Cool J's charisma keeps them watchable, but they should have been rewritten or recast. Preferably both. A screenplay with more wit and bite would have made this confection stronger and spicier.
You see what I mean. The film has moments when it gets the heart to soar, but you have to get through some real dreck to get there. Ultimately, I can only recommend this for a really undemanding Netlix movie night. And that's after you've watched all the other, better rom-coms.
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