Girls Trip
3 stars
Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Stars: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith
Duration: 122 mins
Class: 15
KRS Releasing Ltd

There have been many movies whose premise was of a group of friends going on a trip to get drunk, high and laid while rediscovering the important bonds of friendship. The Hangover (2009) took that premise and pushed the boundaries of taste thanks to the raunchy humour that peppered proceedings.

The Hangover spawned two (inferior) sequels and many imitations. 2011’s Bridesmaids’ cast of women gave that premise a much-needed twist and some genuine warmth and humour. This week’s release, Girls Trip, takes it one step further, casting an excellent ensemble of African-American women in the leads. And, for all its faults, the film has certainly struck a chord with critics and movie-goers alike.

At the heart of the story are four women who have been friends since high school. Ryan (Regina Hall) is a self-help guru who may just need to point her counselling skills at herself as she tries to save her floundering marriage to the suave and smarmy Stewart (Mike Colter).

For all its faults, the film has certainly struck a chord with critics and movie-goers alike

Queen Latifah’s Sasha is the author of a successful gossip blog, but constant pressure to deliver tabloidy pieces is beginning to get to her. Lisa (Jada Pinkett-Smith) is a divorced mother of two whose dedication to her job and kids seems to have stifled her desire to have fun while Dina (Tiffany Haddish) is the loud, crass, outspoken yet fiercely loyal member of the so-called Flossy Posse.

Life and job commitments – and a slight fallout between Ryan and Sasha – have meant that the foursome have not seen each other in a while. To remedy that, when she is invited to give a speech at the Essence Festival, Ryan invites her friends to come along for a weekend of re-bonding. But things get a little wilder than any of them imagined when Stewart’s philandering ways come to light and the friends decide to intervene.

It’s no spoiler to reveal that sex, booze, illicit substances and music feature heavily during the weekend getaway, with some instances of genius shining among the more mundane gags.

Dina’s description of the pleasures of the uses of a banana and a grapefruit during foreplay is eyebrow-raising in its explicitness, but certainly very funny. And, when she gets hold of some absinthe and laces the girls’ drinks, we are treated to a scene of comedic delight as the girls react differently. The highlight is Latifah’s odd flirtations with a lamp.

And yet, the hackneyed dependence on humour mined from substance misuse and sexual innuendo soon begins to grate... had script’s focus been less on the levels of crass and obvious jokes and more on character development and story. What little plot there is is very straightforward, with a very foreseeable outcome.

Moreover, the film is set against the backdrop of the real Essence Festival, an annual music festival organised by Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It establishes the party atmosphere so vital to the film, but also means we are subject to a procession of celebrity cameos stretching its running time to an unnecessary two hours.

What Girls Trip has going for it is the palpable and vibrant chemistry between the four protagonists. They bounce off one another convincingly, loudly and infectiously enjoying every raucous moment together as they do the quiet and tender ones. They provide a very positive and empowering message about deep and genuine friendship.

Hall elegantly navigates the comedy/drama required of her character. She is a happy, fulfilled, successful woman on the outside, but one plagued with self-doubt in the inside. Latifah fares similarly well. Her struggles between her conscience and her survival bring down yet another celebrity with juicy gossip. Pinkett-Smith’s Lisa may be thinly-sketched as the harried single mother, but it is fun to watch her finally let her hair down.

Dina’s larger-than-life presence, foul-mouthed tirades and uncensored raunchy sense of humour fill the screen She makes the banana/grapefruit moment her own – try as Haddish might, the script does not give her much else to do, making hers, ironically, the least developed character.