THE POPCORN REEL FILM REVIEW/"Soul Men"
Soul Brothers On The Run, And Having Fun
Isaac Hayes is flanked by Bernie Mac as Floyd
Henderson and Samuel L. Jackson as Louis Hinds in "Soul Men", directed by
Malcolm Lee, who directed "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" earlier this year.
"Soul Men" opened today in the U.S. and Canada. (Photo: The Weinstein
Company)
By
Omar P.L. Moore/November
7, 2008
Malcolm Lee's comedy "Soul Men", which opened today in the U.S. and Canada, has
plenty in it to keep its audience awake -- it's funny, lively, rambunctious,
raucous, even outrageous -- but ultimately it falls a little short of an even,
coherent narrative. As entertainment however, the film is solid, and with
the untimely passing of both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, sobering.
Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd Henderson (Mr. Mac) are two-thirds of
an R&B outfit whose glory burned out some 30 years before. Its third
member and lead singer Marcus Hooks (John Legend) has passed on, leaving a
gaping hole in the trio. Along the way the surviving members, who have
been estranged for more than a generation, travel to find themselves and
surprises, while readying for a comeback tour at Harlem's world-famous Apollo
Theater.
Mr. Lee directs this film with care and he excels especially in the moments
where Mr. Jackson and Mr. Mac are on the road together. Seeing more of
their camaraderie away from the hot lights of the stage and from the more
hyperactive hijinks and shenanigans would have given "Soul Men" the backbone it
sorely needs. Often the film seems to be held together solely by the sheer
energy and adrenaline of Mr. Mac, who makes his mark distinctly and in his own
inimitable way in his final big screen performance. Mr. Jackson delivers a
more abrasive tone to his Louis Hinds, a taskmaster who tries to keep everybody
honest. Both actors play well off each other and their chemistry is
effective, whether they are being cantankerous or cordial.
Given the 30-year-gap between onstage exploits between Floyd and Louis, who
haven't spoken for more than two decades, you wonder how both of the lead
actors' characters have the energy to physically fight each other the way they
do, but they manage to. The story, written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew
Stone, makes a good deal of hay out of small episodes along the way that turn
into brushfires that spiral out of control. "Soul Men" has a temperature
that runs hot -- it's the kind of film whose smoldering match or paper's
remaining embers are continuously teetering dangerously close to fire. The
audience knows what might happen next, and when it actually does it is often
very funny, even though one can always see it coming.
"Soul Men" features Isaac Hayes playing himself, Sharon Leal of "Dreamgirls" as
Cleo, musician Affion Crockett as Lester, Cleo's husband. Adam Herschman
is a spectacle of fun as Philip, Louis and Floyd's music manager and booking
agent, while Sean Hayes cameos as Danny Epstein, a music director and producer.
There's one heck of a cameo by Jennifer Coolidge (younger viewers will remember
her as Stifler's Mom from the first "American Pie" film nine years ago) in what
is the film's funniest moment. There is also another famous cameo early on
which I won't reveal but people of a certain age will (or should) recognize this
person. Stanley Clarke provides the original score for "Soul Men" and the
music soundtrack is a collage of great soul and r&b hits from the 1960's and
'70's.
Mr. Lee creates and environment of fun, friendship and farce, and even if it
doesn't always go down smoothly, "Soul Men" will keep a smile on your face and a
laugh in your heart.
"Soul Men" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for
pervasive language, and sexual content including nudity. The film's
duration is one hour and 43 minutes.
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