The Fighting Temptations
PG-13
Starting tomorrow at area theaters
Two-and-a-half reels out of four
The Fighting Temptations requires that you leave all logic at the door and proceed to your seat with your ears and feet (for tapping and stomping) in tow.
The music is so good that even this nice Jewish boy wanted to throw up his arms and testify to the Lord by movie’s end — even if the critic in me wanted the characters’ roles to have been better written.
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Darrin Hill, a hotshot ad exec who can talk his way into anything. When it’s learned that he lied on his résumé, he’s shown the door. On his way out of said door, Darrin learns from a private investigator that his favorite aunt just passed away and left him $150,000.
Of course, when Darrin returns home to collect his inheritance, he learns there’s a big catch: He must lead the church choir to victory in the annual Gospel Explosion. Although his heart isn’t in it at first, Darrin eventually wins over not only the reluctant choir members but the comely yet no-nonsense Lilly (Beyoncé Knowles).
Tremendous care went into the music for The Fighting Temptations. Superstar Knowles not only lends her estimable pipes to several of the gospel numbers, but has a show stopper all her own with the Peggy Lee standard Fever. Another musical highlight takes place in a barbershop when you realize halfway through that the a capella barbers are The O’Jays.
Other musical notables in The Fighting Temptations include Melba Moore, Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Montell Jordan and far too many others to mention. It’s nice to see Miss Moore get a chance to do her thing, even though her character is somewhat of a caricature.
The movie itself doesn’t come off as good as the music. The Fighting Temptations veers wildly between crowd-pleasing comedy to sentimental love story with very little warning. Not that we’re looking for Shakespeare, exactly.
Veteran British comic director Jonathan Lynn keeps things moving at a quick, light pace. Many comic moments help the audience overlook the lapses in logic and the holes in the plot. The payoff is what you would expect, nothing more or less.
As for Beyoncé’s Hollywood career, the verdict is out. Although her obvious physical beauty and vocal chops belie an almost girlish sweetness, she’s still a few acting lessons shy of being a true film star.
The Fighting Temptations is a music-filled celebration of the spirit and the power of love. Despite that it needs a script doctor, it doesn’t fail to entertain.
Recommended rental
A Mighty Wind
PG-13
Available Tuesday
Although the comedy is a tad too droll at times, where A Mighty Wind truly shines is in the music. As they say in the sports world, "Ka-ching!" As anyone who’s ever sat through a tribute concert on PBS during a pledge drive will tell you, the folk music parody is dead on. When a legendary folk impresario departs this mortal coil, several notable performers of that era organize a concert in his honor. Chief of these is The Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean) and a beloved duo long since broken up (Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara). Levy is amazing.
