Girls Like Us Part 1 (3 Stars for Entertainment)

Director(s): James McFarland and Chan C. Smith

Assistant Director(s): Anike Bay

Original Screenwriter: Coquie Hughes

Revised Screenwriter: Anike Bay and Chan C. Smith

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Cast:

Bethany Stanton

Robyn Lei

Milon V. Parker

Bionca Monroe

Anthony Phillips

Can I just say that I wouldn’t want any of the women in this move who portrayed lawyers representing me in a court of law? I can imagine them standing up, rolling their necks, pointing at the judge and saying, “Fuck you, judge. My client is motherfukcing innocent!”

The description of the movies tells us that we are about to watch a film about a lawyer in love with a writer. It is based on the book “Girls Like Us” written by Anike Bay.

I think I’m going to have to pick up the literature to see just how much of the movie coincides with the books. I expected poetry, bomb romantic love scenes, maturity, ooh’s and aah’s… what I got was Keisha played by Robyn Lei and Zoi, played by Bethany Stanton. These two bickered like two nine years. I was waiting on love licks to be passed the entire first half. If you are looking for a positive representation of black lesbians, this may not be the film for you. If you are looking for drama, entertainment, and a few laughs then by all means, indulge.

We get a taste of the funny from the intro as two studs stand at the entrance of a barbeque and call all the women that attempt to enter groupies. I’m not sure of their relevance, but I snickered a little bit. We learn that this home belongs to AJ, played by Milon V. Parker and her wife Diane, played by Bionca Monroe. From here, the “F-bombs” commence, and trust me; I don’t mean fun, fire, or fantastic. That’s only two minutes into the film.

Aside from the bad language, the plot is both interesting and confusing. We are first put under the impression that there was once something between Keisha and Zoi. We learn this, when Keisha is sitting in her bedroom speaking with her friends, having an oh-so mature conversation about how Zoi banged Keisha and broke her heart. Later we learn that these strange, unnamed women knew about Keisha and Zoi, but her best friend Diane, did not. I’ll just assume that Diane never knew because she is the wife of Aj, Keisha’s stud sister. AJ is not too keen on the idea of her sister sleeping with women and definitely not entertaining the idea of her best friend and Zoi and her sister. They have a blood-pact not to sleep with one’s another’s sister, so... you get my drift?

Back on track, the solution to this heartbreak is to throw Zoi’s things out of the bedroom window. I’ve never met a lawyer that acted like this, but I stuck with it, because as I mentioned earlier, it’s funny. As the film goes on and they play the cat and mouse game through rough scene transitions, we meet Greg. Greg is a gynecologist and to me another bad portrayal of someone professional with his bad English, bad posture, and mediocre acting. I would not lay back on the table for that guy.

I understand that low-budget films have a small budget, but not once did we see a bookstore, a stethoscope, or a briefcase to indicate that any of these people were true to their characters. The comedy in this film is what made it worth watching. From the Chicago Lesbian Police, to the the “curious George” term, the strap-on commercial, and the half-eaten cupcake.

Forty-two minutes into the film, a bit of decency sets in and we get to enjoy a slightly romantic scene between Zoi and Keisha. Of course, I silently questioned why on Earth they would be making out on the kitchen counter then on the sofa when they were trying to keep their “relationship” from AJ. Eventually, we get a little more maturity when we are given enjoyable snippets of spoken word. That’s ruined when an old woman comes in and spits about who she wants to fuck. Nope, we’re not done with the “f-bombs” just yet.

Afterwards, we are taken back to the “streets.” A proposal blows the entire cast up and the cat is out of the bag. AJ takes a swing at her best friend, the party rushes outside, profanities are spewed, tears are shed, and no decisions are truly made. End scene.

“Be my wife!” The line of the movie for me, as AJ stands in the mirror, expressing her feelings for the deception of her best friend and sister. Yes, I know that the movie isn’t really about AJ, but Parker deserves to be applauded for that scene.

Although I felt that Keisha should have just been a stripper and Zoi a corner boy, I am looking forward to part two. We can hope that the sequel shows growth in plot and maturity in the characters. In the meantime, I’ll be reading the books.

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