A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.
Taraji P. Henson in the role of Ali Davis, plays an energetic Sports Agent who mistakenly believes she is about to be chosen as the next partner at Summit Worldwide Management (SWM), a practically all-male sports firm that only recognizes success from top sales pitches by its male counterparts. Not only does Ali get overlooked, but she also gets her feelings hurt when her boss Nick (Brian Bosworth) advises her that she basically needs to stay in her lane because she doesn’t really understand what men want. Totally unconvinced that she doesn’t have what it takes, she confides with her loyal assistant Brandon Wallace (Josh Brener) the gay guy who is her truth serum, and her three best friends, Mari (Tamala Jones), Ciarra (Phoebe Robinson) and Olivia (Wendi McLendon-Covey), who also agree that she might be somewhat clueless.
Determined to regroup after the recent devastating reality check, Ali promises to deliver the next top sales pitch to standout basketball recruit Jamal Barrie (Shane Paul McGhie) and make all of her ego-tripping peers eat crow. When she has to work twice as hard to convince Jamal and his dad, Joe “Dolla” Barrie (Tracy Morgan) that she can best guide his career, she resorts to perpetrating marriage and motherhood in order to assure them that she is a family-oriented woman with his best interest at heart. As the storyline develops, Ali’s single and irresponsible days become numbered as she tries to outwit her most challenging peers and then loses sight of what is really important when it comes to personal and professional relationships that have kept her grounded. When she consults with a psychic named Sister (Erykah Badu), in order to obtain a clear sense of direction on her future, she ends up with a superpower that allows her to read men’s minds and know their thoughts which ultimately allows her to be one step ahead of the competition. When the newly acquired talent gets her in more trouble than she anticipated, she revisits Sister to reverse the process and in the end, she gains more than she could have imagined.
Director Adam Shankman did an outstanding job pairing the indomitable and chauvinistic male characters with the witty and charming Ali, who in spite of being outnumbered, showed she was boss every step of the way. Her assistant Brandon was a recurring scene stealer whose unwavering loyalty made him a hero in his own right and kept the momentum going throughout the film. While many of the scenes were hilarious, pathetic and oftentimes, overexaggerated, the overall film was entertaining and full of lessons we all should be reminded of daily. The entire Basketball/Sports entertainment industry was well represented with Mark Cuban, Lisa Leslie, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal making hilarious appearances that fit in nicely with the over-the-top scenes while Richard Roundtree, in the role of Ali’s father Skip, brought the audience back to reality with his solidarity and charisma every single time.
In theaters Friday, February 8th
