For those expecting an exact replica of the urban slapstick dramadies that we’ve come to know and in some cases love, they will be thrown for a loop with Next Day Air.
Although it has been pitched as Friday 2K9, Next Day Air is much, much darker than the movie that was said to have inspired the creation of the film.
While not nearly as funny, Next Day Air has a style that provokes conversation and questions. More focus with respect to story and character development could have catapulted the film from ‘not good, but not bad’ to cutting-edge or possibly even profound.
Director Benny Boom incorporates cinematography elements that are rarely seen in
Urban films – the attention to detail in camera angles and added flashback techniques are a definite upgrade.
There is something in every scene that manages to grab viewers’ attention and keep them guessing. Unfortunately, in most cases the facets that appear to lie just beneath surface waiting to take the film to another level turn out to be missed opportunities and often leave the audience hanging and yearning for more.
The film follows Leo Jackson and his mishaps as a non-motivated package delivery driver. But in the course of a day one of the usually harmless mishaps that regularly occur during his shift at Next Day Air manages to change his life when a package gets into the wrong hands.
While the story is a bait and switch with respect to giving more than expected, the cast is meshes well for a memorable ensemble of characters.
Donald Faison is convincing and witty as Leo. Mos Def is charming and clever, albeit underused in Next Day Air as Leo’s coworker. The surprising highlight was the comedic chemistry between Wood Harris and Mike Epps as the bumbling criminals Guch and Brody. While Epps is a funnyman by profession Harris managed not to be intimidated by his gift for ‘hood wit’ and impeccable timing. He even upstaged Epps in a scene or two.
Next Day Air left much to be desired, but it opened minds with respect to the possibilities of taking a niche of films that are at the lowest common denominator regarding screenplays and the logistics of filmmaking in its truest sense.
It may inspire those in the urban movie market to consider films actually instituting the craft of attention to detail in all elements – from the story line, to the cast, to the production.
Next Day Air opens in theatres today (Fri., May 8). The film is Rated R with a running time of 80 minutes.
