Better Late Then Never

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

"Baggage Claim" is so archaic in its depiction of feminine self-worth—and, frankly, so insulting—it's amazing that it's coming out in 2013, not 1963. It's also the second movie opening this week in which attractive, vibrant people pushing 30 must find spouses within a totally arbitrary and impossibly tight time frame in order to please their demanding parents. While "Baggage Claim" takes place within a black family in Baltimore, "Wedding Palace" is set in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles. It's a small world after all, sadly. Paula Patton, however, is a serious globetrotter as a perky and perfectly coiffed flight attendant named Montana Moore. Not only does she have the obligatory sassy best friend (Jill Scott) who's armed with innuendos and in-your-face cleavage, Montana also has the no- nonsense, no-filter gay pal (Adam Brody) who will always set her straight. Both fly the friendly skies alongside her. Their mile-high chatter is mostly mind-numbing, but Brody gets a few funny lines. Montana also has a childhood buddy named William Wright—please take note of that last name—who lives down the hall from her. Might the man of her dreams have been right under her nose all along? Even the likable and charismatic Derek Luke can't do much with such formulaic nonsense. But Luke is one of the astonishing array of attractive actors that writer-director David E. Talbert serves up as a smorgasbord of possible suitors. The greatest tension Talbert achieves in clumsily adapting his same-named novel comes from the conundrum of whether Montana should live a life of luxury and excitement alongside a dashing hotel magnate (Djimon Hounsou), or a life of safety and serenity with Luke, who runs his family's construction business. There's never any doubt. Come on, you've seen a movie before, right? Before she can get there, though, she and her co-workers manipulate the travel booking system to allow her to stalk various exes by "accidentally" showing up on their flights. You see, her younger sister (Lauren London) has just gotten engaged, which inspires their much- married mother (Jenifer Lewis) to exert even more pressure on Montana to find a man of her own. Naturally, she only has 30 days to accomplish this feat, because that makes sense, and it's a good, round number. Montana just discovered that the one she thought was The One (Boris Kodjoe, with whom she shares an unintentionally hilarious love scene on a boat) is actually married with a baby on the way. Nevertheless, she throws herself headlong into this wacky endeavor, which entails dashing through airports and flailing her arms, her roller board suitcase skipping on the ground behind her. Aside from her looks and her childhood love of New Edition, Montana's obsessive pursuit of a mate is pretty much the only thing that defines her as a character. Among other previous boyfriends, she reconnects with a flashy record producer (Tremaine Neverson, better known as Trey Songz) and a dude she rejects apparently because he doesn't know how to use chopsticks. Cue the hackneyed bad-date montage. (There's also the trying- on-clothes montage. Talbert leaves no rom-com cliché unturned.) The best part of "Baggage Claim," if such a thing is possible, is the section in which Montana quickly rekindles an old romance with Langston (Taye Diggs), a slick opportunist who's running for Congress and needs the perfect trophy wife to stand dutifully—and quietly—by his side. The fact that he's a black Republican sets up an awkward dinner with a deep-pockets donor (Ned Beatty) as well as the film's only truly funny lines. There aren't many, but man, does it feel good to laugh again

It was late and I didn't want to go to sleep right away, and I was flipping through HBO channels when Paula Patton caught my eye, I switched back to the channel and began watching it.*************Spoiler********************** I was on the part where she was in the bushes, spying on a guy and his pregnant wife. I had never even heard of this movie before, but the actress was hot, as the movie went a long I had already figured out the entire story, I knew who her lover would, but I still found it cute.This is the reason why I called it "Porno?" the characters were so perfect, and the definition was so great, and the acting was so (I'm sorry) terrible! (Made me laugh though) that I thought eventually Paula was going to take off her clothes. (Not that I watch those HBO specials...)Either way I was happy to find out that it wasn't, and fell in love with Paula myself, just love her smile! But that's that.

Paula Patton is so sweet and beautiful that it's difficult to not like any movie she's in. However, I found the premise in this rom-com fantasy to be so absurd that I couldn't get past it.Patton portrays Montana Moore, a flight attendant for Trans Alliance Airlines. She's been a bridesmaid 9 times but never a bride, while her domineering and annoying mother Catherine (Jenifer Lewis) has already been married 5 times. She's constantly pressuring Montana to find a man to marry, and now that Montana's younger sister is engaged the pressure is ratcheted up even further.So what's the game plan, so Montana can "get a man" in thirty days, by the time of her sister's engagement party? Why, of course it's to flag all of her ex-boyfriends who are flying for the holidays and match Montana up with their flights. For this she will get the help of her two friends and fellow flight attendants Gail and Sam, ably portrayed by Jill Scott and Adam Brody. At least, they provide some much need comic relief here.Of all the "hunks" she will meet on these flights, I liked Taye Diggs the best as Langston, who's a smarmy and egotistical politician, and who still has a caveman mentality. While Montana is trying to meet all these potential suitors, she maintains a strong friendship with William (Derek Luke), whom she's known since elementary school and just happens to live next door to her in their apartment building.As noted by a number of reviewers you can guess which way this film is going and it doesn't disappoint in that regard. Overall, this movie, written and directed by David E. Talbert, based on his book, despite some funny moments and a feel-good ending was way too contrived and predictable for my liking.

I'm a little surprised that this movie has a 3.2 rating on here because it wasn't that bad. I, personally, did not want to see it. I'm a little prejudice against black theater writes who start making movies (i.e. Tyler Perry) but this movie wasn't totally bad. I actually enjoyed it. I thought the premise was original. a flight attendance using her resources at her airline to encounter exes so they could be her date for her sister's wedding. I mean it has been done before with Debra Messing but I thought the airline aspect was cool. The gems of this movie were definitely Jill Scott and Adam Brody. Without them this movie would have been dullsville but they deliver some very hilarious one lines and the dialogue between both of them delivers some laugh out loud moments they made me forgive a lot of the movies mistakes. Also, Tia Mowry had a small part but her scene was one of the funniest as well.Now for the bad, Paula Patton really overacted in this. Watching her deliver her lines made me really uncomfortable. If you ask me she did some of her best work in Mission Impossible 4. Whoever her agent is, they need to get her out of playing the same roles in these comedy and romance movie. Jennifer Lewis' monologue at the end was whack. I didn't understand why they introduced her ex named "Curtis" on the plane if she wasn't going to have an interaction with him in the future. Overall, this movie is pretty predictable. I already knew everything that would happen but I enjoyed watching the story unfold simply for the laughs throughout. I don't want to make it a race thing but it's good to see African American cinema explore other genres of film besides the gangster movies or slave movies. It seems those are the only roles that get created so to say an African American based romantic comedy is very refreshing.I enjoyed this movie. But I wouldn't suggest for anybody to rush to see it in theaters. Just wait until Redbox.