Fourteen
years after the original “Best Man,” the entire cast reunites with writer/director
Malcolm D. Lee for “The Best Man Holiday.” And as beloved as the original picture
is, this installment is 14 times funnier, 14 times more heartfelt and 14 times better than its predecessor.
As with the first film, the
chemistry between the actors brings a realness to the relationships between the
characters that makes the audience genuinely care about what happens to these
people—even the ones they don’t like so much.
What sets “Holiday” apart from other sequels that reunite casts/characters after an extended period of time is that these characters feel like they’ve actually lived during the 14-year absence from the screen.
Compare the characters from the “American Pie” series. From film to film, it is difficult to guess what those characters have been doing between the films. This is not the case with “Holiday.” It is quite obvious that these characters have had lives during the interim and have lived them to their fullest.
Additionally, each of the characters maintains the core of who they were in the first film, but allowed the 14 years of life between the two movies to mature them into more complete versions of themselves. And it all seems to have happened very organically, as a natural part of life.
There is no individual “star” of this film; it is truly an ensemble piece. Each of the actors equally contributes in very significant ways to the development of the plot up to and including the climax and denouement. Even the film’s writer/director, Malcolm D. Lee, can be considered part of this cast in the sense that his script is not only words on paper but also a living document that gives the foundation of the life to these characters.
GRADE: A+
Running time: 123 minutes
Rating: R
