We take a break from routine to review the romantic comedy, Will To Love.
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| "All the hot girls want my granddad's loot!" |
Newly released to TV One is the charming romantic
comedy Will to Love, a film about a
wealthy entrepreneur named Jamal on the cusp of inheriting his grandfather’s
estate if only he can find someone to love and marry to make it all
happen. On par with a Tyler Perry comedy
airing on the Hallmark Channel, it’s a cute date night flick with many comic
surprises and some startlingly charismatic performances by its lively and
energetic cast. While it’s director
Chris Stokes has some making up to do for You
Got Served and the horror film No
Vacancy, he seems to have found his niche in television by working with
smaller budgets and relying mostly on the wit of the cast. Partially a comedy of errors and lighthearted
dramedy, Will to Love will put a
smile on your face. Not unlike The 40 Year Old Virgin, it’s the kind of
sweet romantic comedy where its hero’s love is closer than he thinks but he
needs to go through a laundry list of potential suitors in order to find out
for himself, some goofy and incredulous while others are clearly more attracted
to his wallet than he realizes.
Technically a sitcom level rom com, much of it takes
place in Jamal’s office setting as he and his pals devise a way to find the
right woman for him. Shot on digital and
aired in high definition, Will to Love
is the kind of film you would come upon via channel surfing. Considering its director’s own dabbling in
music (former B2k manager), the film’s soundtrack is far better than its
technical merits with light guitar and romantic jazz riffs akin to Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond. The
best scene in the film involves a quite literal Audition (sans Takashi Miike’s brutal payoff of course) in which
Jamal’s team interviews an angry goth girl dressed in black leather although
the soundtrack’s Bernard Herrmann gag is a bit forced. Another gag involves a subtle reworking of
the theme song to Jeopardy, so close
to the real thing in fact it borders on plagiarism. Germane to romantic comedies of every kind is
the dependable use of montage to show the progression in the relationship with
the New Age singer on the soundtrack.
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| "Dang. Check this one out." |
The funny thing about romantic comedies, particularly
ones with sophisticated and intelligent characters you can empathize with, is
their ability to work despite their strict adherence to the formula. We know the ending before it even begins yet
we hardly care while watching it.So is Will
to Love worth your time? If you’re
going on a date or are an avid fan of the genre, it’s absolutely
recommended! You can predict minutes in
where it’s gonna go but that’s just what people love about romantic comedies in
the first place. Not an outright laugh
fest but definitely one to elicit some chuckles of appreciation as you cuddle
up beside your loved one. Nothing Earth
shattering but it’s not trying to be either and considering how low it’s
director sunk with You Got Served,
I’d say this is a comeback for him and shows he’s the right person for a
Valentine’s Day flick!
Score
-Andrew Kotwicki
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