133.
Girls Trip
4/10
One that I wasn't really looking forward to. This chick flick looked like a kind of take on the hangover movies, focused on the female persuasion. Four friends are going to travel to New Orleans for the Essence Festival and the friends are a cast of mixed, well-known and not so well-known, black women. This could end up being an absolute cringe fest on the level of The Hangover 3 or a good amount of fun like the first in the Hangover series.
The film begins with a narrative by one of the characters Ryan, played by Regina Hall. She's telling us about her three best friends and their group called the 'Flossy Posse'. Slowly, their school photos show each member disappearing because time is moving on and finding time for each other has become that bit harder. As they are shown, our narrative explains which each person does. Sasha, played by Queen Latifah, is a gossip writer, Lisa, played by Jada Pinkett-Smith, is a divorced mother of two and finally Dina, played by Tiffany Haddish is still as wild as her younger days. Ryan herself is a self-help book author with the help of her athlete husband, Stewart. One by one we now see how they live their lives. Ryan has an agent, who tells her that a major company wants to make a deal with her and her husband. The meeting will be in New Orleans, around the same time as the festival and Ryan decides she needs to let her hair down a bit so wants to get the band back together. Sasha is seen on the phone to her editor. This guy needs some more gossip in order to fill up her failing site. She seems to have letters for overdue payments, and soon comes off the phone as she sees her car being towed. This is after she has told her editor that she is going away with Ryan and other celebs in the hope to get some dirt on them. Dina is the live wire, who is in trouble at work for hitting an employee. Her boss fires her but she doesn't take the hint and think that she is having time off instead. Lisa is the final girl, who is at home getting ready for her trip and to leave her kids with her mother. She is clearly the worrier and Dina shows up, instantly making the household uncomfortable with her swearing and choice of topics to speak about. These two are the first at the airport and wait for the other half of the group, who they know have had a bit of tension in the past few years. On the plane Dina takes over first glass and starts the party with shots.
They get to New Orleans and instantly are greeted on the street by some of Ryan's fans, who give them all free drinks. whilst Ryan is doing her thing, Sasha, photographer send her over some pictures of Stewart kissing girl in some nightclub. The agree to not ruin the day but will tell her when they are back at the room. Dina is fuming and can't hold it back and literally tells her within a couple of minutes. Ryan reacts differently though and tells the girls that she knows and they are working through it together. When they arrive at the hotel, Stewart is there with and older woman and Dina takes it upon herself to confront him behind Ryan's back, slow motion, anger running, smashing a bottle to use as a weapon, she finally gets to him only for the girls to pull her away and the older woman is his Aunt. They are asked to leave the hotel but not before Ryan has a stern word with her husband to keep it in his pants, simply for this deal to go through. With no other decent hotel's free, thy have a settle for a crap, dirty motel. A knock on the door reveals a hobo looking for sexual favours and after her is thrown out, he exposes himself through the window and Dina seems to be repulsed by it. In the end, they can all laugh at the situation, and they get dressed for the first show of the trip. Lisa's outfit it typical mother style and the girls decide to sort her out before leaving. Already, they have made fun of her sex life, or lack of it and how quite she has become regarding men in general. At the show, Sasha is confronted by someone that she has spread gossip about and we can now see the ugly side of her job and the reason why Ryan no longer respect her. Even though it's happening, Sasha tries to record the confrontation, just for another story. Dina is star struck and pesters Estelle, the singer, before the gang meet and old friend, Julian, who players bass for singers and takes them into the VIP. We can see a chemistry between him and Ryan. P Diddy is playing and Dina is in love. She flashes him and is brought on stage, in the back ground, Lisa has attracted a younger guy. After the show, Julian invites them all to the zip-lining across one of the popular streets and obviously something embarrassing is going to come from it. Lisa gets stuck and ends up pissing herself and onto the people below, but not to be out done, Dina takes a swing and does the same. That night Julian lets them all stay at his hotel, where Lisa tries to get down with her guy but is scared from the size of his manhood and rejects the offer.
The next day and the 'happy' couple are making an appearance on a stage for a cookery segment with a well-known chef. When the presenter asks for a participant from the help from a member of the audience, up steps the girl that Stewart had be with in the club. The other girls run onto the stage before anything kicks off but Ryan is already treating a sausage like an innuendo as she chops it up with a knife and batters it with a tenderiser. Dina shoves some uncooked sausage into this girl's mouth and leaves the stage. Later, Dina is walking by herself, looking to get messed up and a guy offers her absinthe. She takes it back and makes drinks for the girls, just as Ryan's agent meets them for a drink too. She is always trying to act black with her mannerisms and sayings. They are about to go out and meet the person making a deal with Ryan. Once they hit the club, the drink starts to kick in with some funny effects. Each one starts hallucinations. Ryan, Stewart, the agent Liz and the deal maker Bethany are all sitting down to start the talks. The girls are dancing and realise the side effects so need to save Ryan from her meeting. Ryan think a waitress is Simone, Stewart's new girl, so verbally insults her. Sasha is hooking up with a lamp and finally, they are all pulled away to safety. They get coloured wigs outside, make it to a new club and start to finally enjoy that bit more. Not for long though, as Simone and her gang are there and we witness a dance off, which the 'Flossy Posse' were always going to win. At the bar, the girls come over to antagonise the posse but Lisa lands the first blow as the fight continues until the police arrive. Ryan has unknowingly text Julian to come and pick them up. Yet again, there is more chemistry when it comes to the goodbyes. Lisa has invited her man over to finally do the deed but ends up burning him with fruit juice from technique that Dina has shown her.
Julian has invited them all to watch him play a gig and afterwards, they all hangout and we can see him and Ryan getting that bit closer. Suddenly, Simone walks in and want to confront Ryan over the fact that she is pregnant. Sasha stops her and tells Ryan herself, thinking it's best that way, before the girl goes public with the news. Ryan confides in the girls and tells them that they have been having problems conceiving. She is still devastated with the news. Stewart shows up to talk to her and says that he still loves her despite the mistakes he's made. He wants to keep working at it and making sure that the deal goes through for them. The go to complete the deal later on, with a massive money offer. When she heads back to tell the group the news, they react badly and tell her that she is an idiot. Whilst arguing, Ryan gets alerted that the picture of Simone and Stewart has now gone viral and she blames it on Sasha. She has offered to release it before anyone else, to help Ryan get ahead of the story. Sasha insists that it wasn't her and soon they are all arguing with each other, pointing out each other's flaws. The truth comes out about why Sasha and Ryan haven't spoken in a while and it's because they were going to start a site together, so Sasha quit her job. Instead, Ryan focused on her own success and left Sasha in the cold. Once it dies down a little, the four go their separate ways.
Ryan is getting ready for her speech at the convention and Lisa finds Dina in a bar, sorting things out, decide that Ryan needs the group. They find Sasha leaving the hotel and finally listen and believe her story. Liz is telling Ryan what to say in her speech in order to cover up the scandal, as we flip over to the girls, trying to make it to the centre for the speech. Ryan is getting up to talk after being introduced by Stewart. When she sees her friends in the back ground, she decides to spill the beans. She gives a motivational speech, which brings a standing ovation, as Stewart quickly slips out of the back and away from everyone. Liz feels the deal is a no go now and she's lost all of her money, only for the company to carry on working with Ryan along. She wants the deal but on the condition that Sasha is her partner in it too. The rest of the trip is full of the girls enjoying, Julian and Ryan starting a relationship and ends with Ryan stating that the 'Flossy Posse' is back for good.
They get to New Orleans and instantly are greeted on the street by some of Ryan's fans, who give them all free drinks. whilst Ryan is doing her thing, Sasha, photographer send her over some pictures of Stewart kissing girl in some nightclub. The agree to not ruin the day but will tell her when they are back at the room. Dina is fuming and can't hold it back and literally tells her within a couple of minutes. Ryan reacts differently though and tells the girls that she knows and they are working through it together. When they arrive at the hotel, Stewart is there with and older woman and Dina takes it upon herself to confront him behind Ryan's back, slow motion, anger running, smashing a bottle to use as a weapon, she finally gets to him only for the girls to pull her away and the older woman is his Aunt. They are asked to leave the hotel but not before Ryan has a stern word with her husband to keep it in his pants, simply for this deal to go through. With no other decent hotel's free, thy have a settle for a crap, dirty motel. A knock on the door reveals a hobo looking for sexual favours and after her is thrown out, he exposes himself through the window and Dina seems to be repulsed by it. In the end, they can all laugh at the situation, and they get dressed for the first show of the trip. Lisa's outfit it typical mother style and the girls decide to sort her out before leaving. Already, they have made fun of her sex life, or lack of it and how quite she has become regarding men in general. At the show, Sasha is confronted by someone that she has spread gossip about and we can now see the ugly side of her job and the reason why Ryan no longer respect her. Even though it's happening, Sasha tries to record the confrontation, just for another story. Dina is star struck and pesters Estelle, the singer, before the gang meet and old friend, Julian, who players bass for singers and takes them into the VIP. We can see a chemistry between him and Ryan. P Diddy is playing and Dina is in love. She flashes him and is brought on stage, in the back ground, Lisa has attracted a younger guy. After the show, Julian invites them all to the zip-lining across one of the popular streets and obviously something embarrassing is going to come from it. Lisa gets stuck and ends up pissing herself and onto the people below, but not to be out done, Dina takes a swing and does the same. That night Julian lets them all stay at his hotel, where Lisa tries to get down with her guy but is scared from the size of his manhood and rejects the offer.
The next day and the 'happy' couple are making an appearance on a stage for a cookery segment with a well-known chef. When the presenter asks for a participant from the help from a member of the audience, up steps the girl that Stewart had be with in the club. The other girls run onto the stage before anything kicks off but Ryan is already treating a sausage like an innuendo as she chops it up with a knife and batters it with a tenderiser. Dina shoves some uncooked sausage into this girl's mouth and leaves the stage. Later, Dina is walking by herself, looking to get messed up and a guy offers her absinthe. She takes it back and makes drinks for the girls, just as Ryan's agent meets them for a drink too. She is always trying to act black with her mannerisms and sayings. They are about to go out and meet the person making a deal with Ryan. Once they hit the club, the drink starts to kick in with some funny effects. Each one starts hallucinations. Ryan, Stewart, the agent Liz and the deal maker Bethany are all sitting down to start the talks. The girls are dancing and realise the side effects so need to save Ryan from her meeting. Ryan think a waitress is Simone, Stewart's new girl, so verbally insults her. Sasha is hooking up with a lamp and finally, they are all pulled away to safety. They get coloured wigs outside, make it to a new club and start to finally enjoy that bit more. Not for long though, as Simone and her gang are there and we witness a dance off, which the 'Flossy Posse' were always going to win. At the bar, the girls come over to antagonise the posse but Lisa lands the first blow as the fight continues until the police arrive. Ryan has unknowingly text Julian to come and pick them up. Yet again, there is more chemistry when it comes to the goodbyes. Lisa has invited her man over to finally do the deed but ends up burning him with fruit juice from technique that Dina has shown her.
Julian has invited them all to watch him play a gig and afterwards, they all hangout and we can see him and Ryan getting that bit closer. Suddenly, Simone walks in and want to confront Ryan over the fact that she is pregnant. Sasha stops her and tells Ryan herself, thinking it's best that way, before the girl goes public with the news. Ryan confides in the girls and tells them that they have been having problems conceiving. She is still devastated with the news. Stewart shows up to talk to her and says that he still loves her despite the mistakes he's made. He wants to keep working at it and making sure that the deal goes through for them. The go to complete the deal later on, with a massive money offer. When she heads back to tell the group the news, they react badly and tell her that she is an idiot. Whilst arguing, Ryan gets alerted that the picture of Simone and Stewart has now gone viral and she blames it on Sasha. She has offered to release it before anyone else, to help Ryan get ahead of the story. Sasha insists that it wasn't her and soon they are all arguing with each other, pointing out each other's flaws. The truth comes out about why Sasha and Ryan haven't spoken in a while and it's because they were going to start a site together, so Sasha quit her job. Instead, Ryan focused on her own success and left Sasha in the cold. Once it dies down a little, the four go their separate ways.
Ryan is getting ready for her speech at the convention and Lisa finds Dina in a bar, sorting things out, decide that Ryan needs the group. They find Sasha leaving the hotel and finally listen and believe her story. Liz is telling Ryan what to say in her speech in order to cover up the scandal, as we flip over to the girls, trying to make it to the centre for the speech. Ryan is getting up to talk after being introduced by Stewart. When she sees her friends in the back ground, she decides to spill the beans. She gives a motivational speech, which brings a standing ovation, as Stewart quickly slips out of the back and away from everyone. Liz feels the deal is a no go now and she's lost all of her money, only for the company to carry on working with Ryan along. She wants the deal but on the condition that Sasha is her partner in it too. The rest of the trip is full of the girls enjoying, Julian and Ryan starting a relationship and ends with Ryan stating that the 'Flossy Posse' is back for good.
I honestly think that this film was a little funny at best. It wasn't really original and contained too many sub-plots on a serious level, such as adultery, which took the fun side away from it a times. Each character had their own draws but sometimes this didn't work either. Dina, was too over the top at times and Ryan wasn't really given too much humour to be able to be involved in the movie for the comedy aspect. This may have been to show how they had changed from school years but at times, the same jokes were drawn out too long. Overall, it seemed over the top regarding their mannerisms and dialogue, to emphasise these ladies' culture. Yes, there is always a part in these films where the friends argue and get back together at the end and it's down to this that made it just another comedy.
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