Girls Trip will do more than make you want to go on a girls trip of your own to Essence Fest. It'll make you feel like you are actually on a girls trip at Essence Fest with Ryan (Regina Hall), Sasha (Queen Latifah), Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Dina (Tiffany Haddish)!
From the moment they leave the airport you're immersed in New Orleans' style and culture and instantly transported to New Orleans from whichever city you're in. And when they go to performances at Essence Fest, you truly feel like you're at the concert singing along with New Edition, Maxwell, Diddy, and others. This is thanks in part to footage that looks like you're looking at it through your iPhone after recording, and also to scenes where the ladies interact with the performers (like Diddy pulling Dina on stage). They were actually experiencing Essence Fest, not recreating it or cutting in scenes from the festival. Choosing to film at the 2016 Essence Music Festival, in lieu of the aforementioned options, paid off tremendously and made watching the film a truly great and fun experience!
Beyond experiencing New Orleans and Essence Fest, throughout the film you share in the experiences of the characters. The interactions between the four ladies did not seem forced in any way. You could truly believe they were college BFFs who are coming back together for a fun girls weekend after losing touch for a couple of years. Hall and Latifah's characters had the most depth and range, with Smith and Haddish's characters having slightly less. However, this doesn't take away from the film, as their characters were often the source of comedy. The pair were complete opposites, with Dina being the wild one of the bunch and Lisa being the most reserved one. Compared to the others, Dina was definitely more over the top, but who doesn't have that one friend! All four ladies were different, but they each had qualities about them that you can't help but love. The friend chemistry is definitely present, and let us not forget the Set It Off connection between Smith and Latifah (which does get a shout out in the film).
There's also great chemistry and eye candy in the men cast for the film. KOFI SIRIBOE!! So wonderful to look at (and you will get a really good look)! But he is also a fantastic actor, and I absolutely love him in Queen Sugar and as Malik in this film. Larenz Tate was also looking great, and the chemistry between Julian and Ryan was spot on and natural without so much as a kiss. And even Julian's interactions with the rest of the girls really felt like they were all old college buddies. And of course there is also Mike Colter, who did a great job as Ryan's unfaithful husband, Stuart.
As for the storyline, Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver delivered, as always. While you'll see traces of elements you've seen in various films spanning various genres, the story is its own story and not what you may expect. This is not a replica or variation of a story you've already seen played out on the big screen. There's tripping out the likes of which you might see in a Seth Rogen film. There's dance battles reminiscent of House Party. There's the adventurous trip experience of The Hangover. There's the friendship dynamics and varying types of success of Living Single (in fact, I'd say Latifah's character is a blend of Khadijah and Necole Kane). There's the relationship drama of The Game. Not to say the film takes from these films and shows, but to try to help you imagine the varying types of experiences and plot lines an audience member will encounter when viewing this film. And it's all put together so well that it manages to still be a cohesive storyline and doesn't feel like it's all over the place. You are sure to laugh, hoot, and holler.
This is yet another hit from Will Packer Productions! You do not want to miss seeing this film on the big screen when it hits theaters on July 21st! Grab your girls and take a trip to Essence Fest, a Girls Trip !
10/10