For a movie I assumed was a straightforward romantic comedy,
Jumping the Broom is surprisingly
complex, with the usual clash of sophistication and simplicity that can bring conflict
to a film. These plot devices aren't at all new and novel concepts, but the way
that the writing deals with them is. There's no blame placed on any one party,
and the story revolves around more than just finding a joke to make the
audience laugh. It's actually a very well crafted film that I would enjoy
watching a second time.
Angela Bassett is always a fun actress to watch, and she doesn't disappoint in
Jumping the Broom. Loretta Devine plays her part well and manages to make me
both love and hate her character. It's definitely entertaining to watch the two
interact. The film is well cast with each character being fully developed in a
manner appropriate to their importance to the plot or as a comedy device. And
there seems to be a pretty even split down the middle in the number of male and
female characters.
The movie is very amusing with plenty of opportunities to laugh. The jokes are
well scattered with the serious moments and are used appropriately to change
the tone. Interestingly, the script is completely free of any cursing. Some of
the jokes are suggestive, but they are never overtly crude. Interestingly, this
film warrants a PG-13 rating. Did I miss something?
Jumping
the Broom manages to poke a little fun at stereotypes while still
being a comedy with actual substance. This isn't the typical comedy that's all
jokes and very little plot. T.D. Jakes, a "mega church" pastor in Dallas, is
tied to the film, so some of the religious undertones make a bit more sense.
The religious aspect never overwhelms the film at any point; it's just part of
the storyline that fits in relatively seamlessly. I would really like to see
this movie again to figure out how Jumping
the Broom manages to be both a comedy and a film with a message. It
definitely doesn't hurt that it's hilarious.
