Customer Reviews

The List

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The American Black Film Festival DVD series has released a funny romantic comedy starring well-known comedienne Wayne Brady and Hollywood acting royalty Sydney Tamiia Poiter (Syndey Poiter's daughter). "The List" is a romantic comedy that features a cast of well known African-American actors. Wayne Brady stars in the film as a man named Lewis. Lewis is a man with a big heart who puts everything on the line for love and find himself dumped by the woman of his dreams on live TV. Heartbroken, Lewis decides to create a list of what he wants in the perfect woman.

Sticking to his list, Lewis sets out to meet the woman who meets all of his standard. He meets Cecile and she is everything he wants in a woman. The question is can he make it work between them? "The List" is an enjoyable comedy and it was a feature presentation at the American Black Film Festival. Warner Bros. releases the American Black Film Festival DVD series.

Also appearing in "The List" are Flex Alexander, Tatyana Ali, and Malcolm Jamal Warner.

The List on its own is nothing that we haven't seen before in countless Love Boat reruns. The plot has been done over and over. But this is the first time, Wayne Brady has starred in a movie and he pulls it off and makes the cliched story work. Sure we all know Wayne from Whose Line?, the Chappelle sketch and his talk show. But he can act too and he is fun to watch. Sydney Poitier is good as the female lead and she and Brady obviously have chemistry. Flex Alexander tried in the role of the wisecracking best friend. (everyone has their own version of Ethel Mertz.) But Illeana Douglas shines as Wayne Brady's secretary. What I enjoyed best about "The List" was the fact that it portrayed successful african-americans without resorting to portraying them in poverty,involved in crime or on drugs. It's about time. You will not be disappointed adding this movie to your collection.

I'd put this movie on my list...To own! Great cast, a good little twist, romantic comedy formula...But still good.

It is awesome to see Wayne Brady back! The amazingly talented Whose Line Is It Anyway? star deserves a second chance after his Talk Show was cancelled. The story is about an OCD man (Brady) who is looking for the perfect woman. When he thinks he has found her, she rehects him hard, so he just keeps changing the items on "the list" until he can find the one.

This movie was not rated and while it's interesting, I was a bit surprised by some of the scenes in it.

This is certainly not for kids, it's more pg 13 rated.

I purchased this movie from Amazon not really knowing what to expect especially from Wanye Brady. To my surprise I really enjoyed the show. Excellent cast. Flex Alexander was great and hilarious. What I did find interesting was the commercial with the bi-racial couple. I've yet to see a commercial demonstrating that but with a woman and african american man running for president change is in the air. Excellent movie to add to your collection.

A solid three stars for THE LIST.

Ad executive Lewis Bond (Wayne Brady) is successful, handsome, and charming. But he's got this thing about lists. He makes a list for just about everything. So when his marriage proposal is humiliatingly shot down by his girlfriend, and, damn, on live television, too, Lewis conjures up a list which would make up his ideal woman. Items to be checked off consist of the girl having to like hockey and Thai food, singing on key (and being a Marvin Gaye fan), being well-organized and bilingual and sexy. And one hundred percent real. Easy peasy, right?

Several weeks later, Lewis runs into the lovely Cecile (Sydney Tamiia Poiter, Grindhouse Presents, Death Proof - Extended and Unrated (Two-Disc Special Edition)) in an elevator at his ad agency, and he's intrigued. It soon becomes evident that Cecile meets just about every criteria on Lewis's list. At this point, Lewis is smitten big time and proclaiming sappy things like "I think she's the one!" Never mind that she won't let him walk her home, or even to her car. Or that she won't give him her number. Or that she keeps wanting to take off whenever they're together. Around this time, you'd think Lewis might buy a clue. But, no, dude's simply too busy crossing items off on that list...

To cut to the chase: Cecile isn't as perfect for Lewis as Lewis thinks. So how will he react when he finally discovers this?

THE LIST is meant to be a heartwarming romantic comedy so odds are, it'll probably turn out alright for Lewis. The fun lies in the journey as we tune in and enjoy Wayne Brady in his first romantic leading role and Sydney Poiter simply being Sydney Poiter, meaning that she's beautiful and talented and engaging. Sydney, by the way, exudes that cool, down-to-earth vibe like no one's business, a trait she shares with her legendary father. The camera loves that tall girl. While I wouldn't say that the chemistry between Wayne and Sydney is exactly sizzling, there's enough of a connection there to make them believable as a couple. THE LIST is pretty much a formulaic love story. Nothing new or that interesting here, plotwise, and this served to disengage me a bit. The film seems to hang its hat on the two leads' performances, which are solid. Wayne and Sydney do manage to partner up in enough "cute" romantic moments to get you pulling for them. If cornered, I might admit to liking the karaoke scene and the Dance Dance Revolution scene best.

Wayne Brady isn't about to change his stripes, isn't about to pull a fast personality transplant (like in that classic CHAPPELLE'S SHOW episode). Wayne Brady here is what you'd expect, gregarious, appealing (if a little bland), and just plain nice. Myself, I'd never found him all that hilarious, although I do think he was brilliant in WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (but mostly for his ad-libbed singing). In this picture, he made me smile more than laugh. That's okay, though. And it pretty much sums up THE LIST, a film which will make you smile more so than laugh. And it simply wouldn't do, of course, to have Wayne show up and not sing. So the movie contrives a scene in which he duets in a karaoke with Sydney, and to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing," no less.

Fellow television veterans Tatyana Ali and Malcolm Jamal Warner pop in for supporting roles. Tatyana is lovely but doesn't get to do much with her thankless role. She plays the messed-up girlfriend who rejected Lewis on live television. It was pretty fun, though, watching Tatyana go into her "Oh, no, you didn't!" tirade. Then, later in the film, Malcolm Jamal Warner shows up and excels at not being funny. Illeana Douglas (Lewis's secretary) and Flex Alexander (playing Chet, Lewis's best friend) also appear and don't embarass themselves (unlike Warner). A chest bump goes out to the dude who plays Lewis's underhanded business nemesis (can't remember his name, but he was funny in spots).

Here's a heads-up: Now I didn't check out THE LIST when it premiered on television (May 20, 2007) as an ABC Family original movie. But the dvd I saw contained mild profanity and one brief instance in which one male character dropped trou and hello, heinie. I doubt that PG-13 stuff was shown in its entirety on the ABC Family network. I'm just sayin', if you have young ones at home with you...

Next to lastly, for something similar to this theme (but gender reversed), go and check out the funnier The Seat Filler.

And, lastly, why isn't Sydney Poitier in more films? This girl can act and she definitely deserves more face time on camera.