CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

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Volume 163, No. 156 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 162 years

Don ’t take grandma on this ‘’ canning box office stats thoughts others stifle, and acts on to pass time while wait- the impulses they repress. If ing for a flight, I was sur- “Girls Trip”were “S e i n f e l d , ”Dina prised to scroll upon a would be Kramer. solitary low rating of the The movie focuses on the ex- movieS “Girls Trip.”A male review- perience of African-American er for a family-focused website as- RE B E C CA characters (although Kate Walsh signed the film an outlier score of L. FORD is a hoot in the supporting role of 0.5 out of 5. The review read like a R y a n ’s agent who can’t stop spout- tantalizing endorsement, describ- ing black colloquialisms), but their ing a hilarious upbeat road trip by Rebecca L. Ford is counsel at Scharf experience is universal. Everyone Banks Marmor LLC, and concentrates her four 40ish college friends, the practice on complex litigation, compliance, can relate to appreciation of old Flossy Posse, who “have one an- board governance and specialized friends, public embarrassment other’s backs in times of need.” employment issues. She is the former and fear of betrayal, including Using “c r u d e ”seven times to de- executive vice president for litigation and s e l f - b e t r a y a l . scribe the movie, the critique cul- intellectual property at MGM. She can be Joyous and free spirited as New minated in a pearl-clutching hum- reached at [email protected]. Orleans itself, the movie’s upbeat blebrag: “[F]rankly, I don’t under- messages of giving oneself per- stand any of it,”the writer de- mission to enjoy life and finding c l a re d . gas) and its annual Essence Fes- the courage to demand what one Yeah, right. tival, to let loose and confront deserves are ecumenical. I’d love Face it. Filthy is fun. truths. to see the fish-out-of-water “Girls Trip”is the raunchiest Ryan, who will be the keynote comedic potential of similar girl wo m e n’s romp since “B r i d e s - speaker at the festival, is a self- groups played out in various eth- m a i d s .”It succeeds where its ear- help guru whose lucrative book nic settings. ly-summer bookend, the plodding deal is contingent on her hus- Director Malcolm Lee is known sorority reunion movie “R o u g h band’s well-Instagrammed and on- for his buoyant, dependable come- N i g h t , ”fell flat because of its fast going affair being kept secret. dies just as his cousin, Spike, is pace and mega-high ratio of truly Sasha is a down-on-her-luck known for sobering message awful jokes and spit-your-drink celebrity blogger who desperately movies. The movie’s writers, g u f f a w s . needs the cash such an expose (“b l a c k - i s h ”) and Using “c r u d e ”20 more times to will provide. (“S u r v i v o r ’s Re- describe this movie would not be Nurse Lisa’s inhibitions exist for m o r s e ”), have day jobs on two of overkill. But its ultimate theme of the sole purpose of being com- the funniest shows on television. being true to oneself is hardly un- ically dismantled. She’s very sweet The story is by Erica Rivinoja, a f a t h o m a b l e . and kind of boring, although back former producer of “,” The main characters fall in the day she could finish a su- so some major potty-mouthing is squarely into the “Sex in the City” per-sized Slurpee filed with grain bound to happen, it’s probably quintet of archetypes: the shy and alcohol before noon. Her romantic m a n d a t o r y. sexually apprehensive Lisa (Jada life is so dull that when she de- “Girls Trip”was made for $20 Pinkett Smith); the ambitious ca- scribes it to her friends one of million and grossed over $95 mil- reer woman, Sasha (Queen Lat- them cracks, “OK that story just lion internationally in the first 10 ifah); the anything goes sexpot, Di- put me into menopause.” days of its release. na (); and the And Dina, in a breakout role for Clearly somebody understands beauty who appears to have it all stand-up comic and “The this movie. Maybe everybody but doesn’t, Ryan (). Carmichael Show”cast member does. The women roll into New Or- Tiffany Haddish, is the group’s Just don’t take grandma with leans (the soulful equivalent of Ve- cathartic id. She says aloud the you when you see it.

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