Silly comedy (From Western Telegraph)

Silly comedy

Bringing Down The House Director: Adam Shankman Starring: Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy, Joan Plowright. Cert 12A, 105 mins

WelL, it's very much a week in the wake of the Matrix, but there are still films that have to be released if they are to find their own patch of sunlight in which to grow and perhaps prosper.

Bringing Down The House an exceptionally silly comedy is one of them and although it doesn't stretch its star, Steve Martin, it does see a welcome return to the silver haired clown doing what he does best: clowning.

Steve Martin's performance in Bringing Down The House is excellent. He plays a straight, lonely guy (which is a common character in his films and one he does brilliantly). He's a tax lawyer and he's recently divorced and obviously uptight. He turns to internet chat rooms for companionship where he begins an e-mail relationship with a woman who describes herself as a 'slim blonde'. It turns out that she is actually in jail and when she busts out to come and see him she can't hide the fact that she is actually the black, buxom, larger than life Charlene, played by Queen Latifah.

The film, unfortunately, panders to some depressingly old-fashioned stereotypes and racial slurs. At least that's one way of looking at it. The other way is that Queen Latifah doesn't have a problem with it so why should I?

Bringing Down The House is not a classic film, and it's not a classic Steve Martin film either. But it is great performance and if you love Steve Martin you'll love this. Vaughan Sivell