"What Love Is" Review

This was the poster for the film when I was supposed to see it last March in Boston:
This is the DVD Cover for the film, when I finally got to see it on Friday:
"What Love Is" is the third film from Mars Callahan, who I began to admire when Zach and I went to Chicago to see his film "Poolhall Junkies" in February of 2002.

"What Love Is" is basically the epitome of a Guy's Break Up Movie. The entire film occurs in one night, and it just happens to be Valentine's Day. Tom - Cuba Gooding, Jr. finally in a good film - plays the main character, who comes home to find out that his girlfriend of 3 years has packed her bags and is moving out. She leaves him a letter, and the conveniently calls him after he reads it. She tells him that she's on her way to pick up her last bags. The bad news for Tom is that he's invited all of his friends over to hang out and celebrate Valentine's Day with them.

This begins a parade of characters entering Tom's townhouse - where the majority of the film takes place. It begins with one of my favorite actors, Matthew Lillard from "Scream" fame. Lillard plays Sal, who is a womanizing-fast-talking idealist, who has stern beliefs on a number of topics, and later in the film when he goes on an anti-gay tirade, it's some of the best handled dialogue I've ever heard. At first, I couldn't believe that GLAAD allowed this kind of dialogue, however throughout the scene, I think they allowed it because of the amazing retort by the gay friend, Wayne. Lillard does an amazing job, and I really like his charisma throughout the film. He's got an ego and an attitude, and he does a pretty amazing job with both of them.

Next up is the man himself: Mars Callahan who plays Ken, the married man, who sneaks out at night (he lives above Tom) to hang out with his friends. I kid you not: The dialogue between Sal and Ken is almost verbatim dialogue that Jason and I have had together. I believe that their dialogue is much more anger-filled than any time Jason and I have ever had it - but it is a very serious discussing about how truly successful married men will always pick their wives over their friends, and how they don't see that as a burden, but as an blessing. Seriously, my jaw dropped during the scene, thinking that Callahan had somehow been hiding in the back seat of Jason's car a year ago when I remember having the conversation while driving back to Boston from New York City. Ken is a really good character, who often plays devil's advocate to Sal's outrageously wild philosophies.

As I mentioned before, there is a gay character named Wayne, who came over to announce to everyone that he is running off to Hawaii with his new man to get married - and he wants Tom to come be his best man. Wayne is a very strong character, and doesn't allow Sal's belittling to effect him, instead he attacks Sal's lifestyle right back, and has some wonderful dialogue himself.

The final male character is played by Sean Astin, who really just serves as another voice to interject more opinions and points of view on various topics.

About halfway through the film, it shifts to a woman's perspective as a group of women, that Sal met at the bar, show up to party with the guys. The film temporarily shifts into the bathroom, as the women "freshen up". Honestly, I'm going to say that the dialogue is written as what men THINK women say in the bathroom. I'd like to believe that they act this way, and talk this way, and maybe some do, but I don't think the female dialogue is the most realistic. I have to believe its just a stereotypical male writing of females talking. The dialogue is quirky and interesting, and well delivered by the actresses, but I don't know if I can completely consider it realistic.

Then, the two group merge and play out the rest of film, as various men and women interact and openly discuss a variety of relationship and sexual topics.

I enjoyed the film, because it's written in a way that you know is not real. NO ONE talks the way these characters do. We all WISH we talked this way, we all WISHED we had these amazingly well-thought out discussions with our friends, when we don't. With the ranting and playful argumentative nature of the dialogue, we all wish we talked this way. It's the same thing with "Clerks", "Mallrats", "Chasing Amy", etc... NO ONE talks like the characters in a Kevin Smith movie, but we all wish that we did.

I don't think there's a middle ground to this film. Either you're going to love it, or you're going to hate it. I believe it's an acquired taste, much like many independently financed and produced films, and much like "Poolhall Junkies". If you don't care about pool, you're more than likely not going to be interested in a film about a fast-talking pool hustler., no matter how good the dialogue and story are: you're not going to care. I believe many of my friends would enjoy the flick, and those are the people I care about the most. Because those are the people that I associate with the film, and the people that I believe I talk to like the characters in the film.

I originally got the film via NetFlix, just in case it sucked. But, after I watched it - I went out and bought it the same day. I thought it was that enjoyable.