LL Cool J

LL Cool J & Gabrielle Union star in romantic comedy `Deliver Us from Eva'. (Cover Story).(Movie Review)

Author/s: Jet Magazine
Issue: Feb 17, 2003

Gabrielle Union is a sexy, tough-as-nails L.A. woman who meets her match when she is secretly set up with cool ladies man LL Cool J in the romantic comedy Deliver Us From Eva.

The screen has rarely seen a woman who can verbally rip a man to shreds as quickly and thoroughly as Eva (Union). The question is, Can the man-killer resist the charms of a patient, smart and sexy stud named Ray (LL Cool J)?

In the film, a trio of men (Duane Martin, Mel Jackson and Dartanyan Edmonds) are totally fed up with the fact that all of their women drop everything when their big sister calls or comes by. Eva has been in charge of her three sisters' lives ever since their parents died. The other three sisters (Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee, Meagan Good) are either married or engaged, but Eva still runs their lives, sometimes even bursting into their bedrooms while they're in amorous situations.

Eva is in charge of the family trust, and the guys want to split that money up. But the sisters won't do anything without Eva's approval.

So, the male trio decides to offer a cash sum to financially strapped meat deliverer Ray Adams to distract her enough that they can spend quality time with their women.

It won't be an easy task because Eva is tough as nails. Every man who's come into her life starts out masculine, but soon leaves whimpering with their tails between their legs. She can insult a man so fast and verbally rip him to shreds that he is often left speechless.

The question is, Does this sexy devil incarnate have a soft side? Ray is always up for a challenge, especially if it involves money.

Director Gary Hardwick said when the script was presented to him it reminded him of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. "The character of Eva was one that I'd never seen for an actress--Black or White," Hardwick said. "This character and project gave me a chance to explore the next level of relationship themes after the ones that I had covered in The Brothers (his directorial debut)."

The big, burning question was, Who would be able to play the role of Eva? "I needed an actress with great talent, of course, but also one who was funny, dramatic, sexy, fresh--and who could make any of these transitions instantly."

Even though a number of actresses had been mentioned for the title role, Hardwick had but one actress in mind. "Gabrielle has been on the verge for a while," he pointed out. "She's a wonderful actress, very gifted and with marvelous comic timing. She's sexy, and she can make you laugh or she can make you cry. You want to watch her to see just exactly what she's going to do next. She has all the tools of a leading lady, and at a young age, too. I'm very happy to be able to say that I was the first film-maker to give her the chance to step out in front, in position number one."

Union was ecstatic to work with Hardwick again. "Gary keeps my bills paid," she said jokingly. "I feel honored to be working with Gary again."

She described Eva as complicated. "She is flawed, yet you still want to pull for her. Eva is rigid--everything is very black-and-white for her. There are no gray areas in her life. She's not a happy woman. She basically gave up her life at 18 to raise her three younger sisters. In doing so, she gave up all of her hopes and her dreams. As her sisters grew older, Eva began to live vicariously through them, much to the chagrin of their boyfriends and husbands. The film picks up Eva's story as she's about to change--a lot."

Hardwick knew he also needed a male lead who was equally as charismatic as Union. Immediately, he thought of LL Cool J with whom he'd worked on the hit television sitcom "In the House."

LL Cool J said of his role: "With this role of Ray Adams, I get to play someone who's cooler and more laid back. Usually, I'm being chased by sharks or killers, or I'm an extra-tough guy. Ray is a bit of a player. He can spin an argument around into a friendly situation, and he loves to play with women. Although, as he says in the movie, `I'm a lover, not a con man.'"

The rapper-turned-actor had tons of praise for his leading lady. He described Union as "skilled, beautiful, and smart. I think that audiences will be seeing a lot more of her. I enjoyed working with her tremendously."

As for the frustrated trio of men, Hardwick said: "Most comedy writers will tell you that all comedy trios are in some way the Three Stooges. No exception here--these characters were set up structurally, bodily, and character-wise to be that way! But we got more than we bargained for with these particular actors. We auditioned a lot of actors. We had groups of three read with one another, looking for chemistry, looking for the right feel. When these three read together, they had it. Duane Martin is a strong, seasoned comedic actor. His character of Mike--which would be Moe in the Stooges comparison--thinks he's smarter than he really is. He's very aggressive, and the catalyst for all the action. Given his body of work, that's a stance Duane assumed naturally."

Audiences will see talented Black performers going against type. LL Cool J comes across as extremely likable as he plays a suave and surprisingly sophisticated blue-collar guy who's not afraid to show his vulnerability.

And as Eva, Union is the perfect woman to both root for and hate at the same time. She is feisty, firm but incredibly vulnerable when the time is taken to get to know her.

The movie gave her a chance to indulge in one of her loves--horseback riding. "I really enjoy riding horses," she said. "I loved all the scenes where I got to work with them."

She pointed out that even though her character created nonstop tension, the set was anything but. "Between takes were the funniest times," she recalled. "We had a New Edition versus the Temptations showdown, which was the cast versus the producers. The cast was New Edition, just so you know."

Fans will see a film that features two talented performers who've always had the skills for leading roles finally get a chance to showcase a wide range of comedic and dramatic skills.

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