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Think Like a Man

5/10

Stars: Chris Brown, Gabrielle Union, Kevin Hart, Meagan Good, Terrence J, Jenifer Lewis, Michael Ealy, Regina Hall, Taraji P Henson, Jerry Ferrara, Steve Harvey

Director: Tim Story

A black-oriented romcom, spun around the wit and wisdom of one Steve Harvey, whose best-selling book exhorts sisters to 'act like a lady and think like a man'. All Harvey's book seems to do is get our sets of protagonists into trouble, but naturally our guys get the gals in the end; actually the film is quite misogynistic in this respect, as the ladies pretty much come grovelling in the ultimate reckoning...that's after the men read the book for themselves and quickly suss out their women's strategies.

An almost all-black preview audience shrieked with delight nearly throughout but, with its dialogue squawked largely at decibel level, the film, raucous and difficult to approach, is likely to have problems crossing over to mainstream audiences.

Performances are nothing if not professional and enthusiastic, but most attention is drawn to the incomparable natural warmth of Gabrielle Union, a performer who never seems to have won the central roles her talent deserved. All these performers, in fact, deserve something with more depth and perception.

David Quinlan

USA 2012. UK Distributor: Sony (Screen Gems). Colour by deluxe.
123 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 16 Jun 2012