About Last Night has an interesting past behind it. Technically, it’s a remake of the 1986 film of the same name starring a young Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and Jim Belushi. And that film is an adaptation of the 1974 play Sexual Perversity in Chicago by David Mamet. To be fair, I have seen neither the 1986 film or the 1974 play, but About Last Night is a fun, if not thoroughly predictable, rom-com.
In an age where many romantic comedies feel stale or grating, About Last Night does a good job of sticking to the formula while still feeling modern. The film follows two couples who just happen to be best friends, constantly bickering Bernie and Joan and classically sweet Danny and Debbie. The film progresses exactly as you think it would. Couples break up, couples move in together, couples adopt a dog, and couples reunite. Sure, it’s been seen time and time again, but everyone involved brings enough charm and raunchy humor to elevate the film beyond boring.
The actors in particular are well cast. Kevin Hart as Bernie and Regina Hall as Joan seem to feed off one another and oftentimes their bantering seems organic, like the two are simply improvising. Michael Ealy as Danny and Joy Bryant as Debbie also team up well. They’re everything you want in a rom-com couple: intelligent, earnest, charming, and incredibly good looking.
At first, with little background on the film, I was surprised with how raunchy it was right off the bat. However, the raunchiness never overstepped its boundaries and often felt realistic. All of the sex humor fit with the tone and pace of the dialogue without feeling dirty for dirty’s sake. That said, not all of the jokes landed well, and the film really loses steam when it gets too serious. Without the humor, it can quickly veer into melodramatic and those are the times I tended to mentally check out. The dramatic parts are just too cliché, and you can see exactly where the plot is headed the entire time. Thankfully, the humor is there to keep you engaged.
If you’re looking for a fluffy, enjoyable rom-com for Valentine’s weekend, About Last Night is a great option that won’t get too schmaltzy on you.
