ONE OF THEM DAYS Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Lawrence Lamont
Stars: Keke Palmer, SZA, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Katt Williams, Patrick Cage, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Maude Apatow, Armin Joseph, Gabrielle Dennis, Janelle James, Dewayne Perkins, Keyla Monterroso Mejia.
This is a frenetically paced comedy in which two friends race across town to try and raise their rent money before they are evicted from their apartment by their strict landlord. It’s a simple premise but it also sets the scene for some very funny moments. The film comes across like a cross between Friday and a female centric Dude Where’s My Car featuring a cast of African-Americans.
Ambitious waitress Dreux (Keke Palmer, from Hustlers, etc) shares a rundown apartment with her best friend Alyssa (Grammy award winning R&B singer SZA in her film debut), an aspiring artist. When their landlord demands the month’s rent payment Dreux explains that she gave the money to Alyssa to pay. Alyssa admits that she gave the money to her well-endowed but dopy boyfriend Keshawn (Joshua Neal), who has mysteriously gone missing. They track him down to an apartment he shares with Berniece (Aziza Scott). He admits that he used the money for his failed T-shirt business.
Dreux grows increasingly desperate as she tries to find ways to get hold of the rent money before the 6 pm deadline imposed by their landlord. Their attempts to find the money involve visiting a shady money lending company and a messy outing to the blood bank. Dreux is also aware that she has an afternoon interview for a position as a franchise manager with a fast-food company.
Meanwhile the bold, brassy, aggressive and foul-mothed Berniece is out for revenge against our two heroines, leasing to some nasty but very funny confrontations. And the pair also manage to run afoul of ruthless local gangster King Lolo (Armin Joseph, from The Expendables, etc).
One Of Them Days is yet another variation on the raunchy buddy comedy, but it is also a celebration of friendship and community. This is the first feature script for writer Syreeta Singleton, and it contains some very funny slapstick humour. Lawrence Lamont, who hails from a background in commercials and music videos makes his feature directorial debut here. He maintains a fast pace throughout, and he also has a good eye for visual humour. Cinematographer Ava Berkofsky (the tv series Insecure, etc) does a great job with the visuals, bathing the film in bright colours and giving audiences a strong sense of place.
There is a palpable chemistry between Palmer and SZA that gives drives the film and gives the material much of its energy. However, a lot of the rapid fire dialogue is almost unintelligible.
★★★
