SOUL MEN

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Bernie's Great Goodbye

Bernie Mac Seals His Career With a Laugh

By Cole Smithey

Bernie Mac's last film before his untimely death is a let-it-rip irreverent comedy invested with Bernie's trademark brand of earthy humor.

 

Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac) and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) haven't spoken in 20 years since their days singing together as a duo, after the departure of their R&B group's leader John Legend (Marcus Hooks). Legend's recent passing presents an opportunity for Floyd and Louis to reunite for a memorial concert at the Apollo Theater if only they can make amends and survive a cross-country drive together.

 

There's a vibe of historic musical authenticity as the knockabout guys take Floyd's convertible green Cadillac through Memphis while working out a contentious question about who fathered a now-grown singer named Cleo (well played by Sharon Leal - "Dreamgirls").

 

"Soul Men" is an accidental love letter to the comic genius of Bernie Mac. It's full of joy and even a surprising amount of clear-eyed innocence. It doesn't hurt that Bernie and Samuel perform their own song-and-dance numbers, or that the late Issac Hayes lends his sly presence to the piece.

 

It's a very different experience watching Bernie Mac hitting his comic marks for the last time than it might have been if he were alive for the film's release. His passing informs the humor and musically-related narrative import of the movie, making it as much about shifting tides of musical sensibilities as it is about cultural changes of political correctness and race relations. Even the recent death of Blaxploitation icon Rudy Ray Moore (AKA Dolomite) plays into a perceived idea that "Soul Men" represents "blue" humor, as practiced by Black comedians, as a means of social liberation and personal rebellion. Anyone who has ever been to a live performance of Richard Pryor, Rudy Ray Moore, or the younger Bernie Mac, knows the buoyant feeling of being lifted by their deceptively self-aggrandizing stance toward sexuality, social interaction, and connection to history. There's a comfort in being sermonized to by these seen-it-all comedians whose dirty-old-man tendencies have an equalizing effect.

 

Samuel L. Jackson is an interesting-if-obvious choice to play the grumpy straight may to Bernie Mac's fast-twitch physical comedy. Jackson's vocal chops aren't up to Bernie's comfort level with melodies, but together the men enjoy an oil-and-water chemistry that's intrinsically funny. When the guys end up unknowingly bedding a mother (hilariously played by Jennifer Coolidge) and her grown daughter (Sara Erikson) the comedy spikes with an over-the-top edge that puts to shame the lewd efforts of garden variety teen sex comedies.

 

However, the genius of the movie is the way the filmmakers infuse an R&B era of brotherhood (a la "The Chi-lites") to the story. It goes farther than a great soul musical comedy like "The Blues Brothers" in pinning down an esthetic and attitude of the music itself. A culture clash that comes about between the two standard bearers of R&B's sophisticated musicality and an incipient rap group, led by Cleo's abusive drug-dealing boyfriend, refreshingly points out a generational divide between past musical traditions and current trends.

 

"Soul Men" is a well-balanced adult comedy that doesn't talk down to its audience. It represents a high watermark for director Malcolm Lee ("Undercover Brother"), and more importantly stands as a time capsule of ethnic ideals and expression.

 

The film's closing credits include interview footage with Bernie Mac that caps the movie off with a fitting context of overflowing personality from the Chicago legend himself. It's okay to get a little choked up about the phenomenal entertaining abilities of the late Bernie Mac.  

(Dimension/MGM) Rated R. 103 mins.