Breakin' All the Rules (2004)

*Get a physical copy of "Breakin' All the Rules" on Amazon here*
*Get "Breakin' All the Rules" wall decor on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories by Gabrielle Union on Amazon here*

This mild romantic comedy's title is all wrong. This film doesn't break, or bend, any rules- romantic or filmwise.

Quincy (Jamie Foxx) is dumped by his beautiful model girlfriend at the same time his magazine editor boss Philip (Peter MacNicol) wants him to come up with some pointers on how to fire people effectively, given his brief graduate school career in psychology. Quincy quits, holes up in his home with his ex-girlfriend's pug, and uses his knowledge of psych research to write a self-help book on how to end a relationship. Best friend and cousin Evan (Morris Chestnut) tries out the tips, is successful, and Quincy's old magazine hires him back as his book becomes a best seller. Cue the sitcom complications. Evan has been seeing Nicky (Gabrielle Union), but he thinks she wants to dump him. He asks Quincy to talk him up, but not knowing that she is Evan's girl, Quincy starts dating her instead. Meanwhile, Philip is trying to get rid of his gold digger girlfriend Rita (Jennifer Esposito), and asks Quincy for help. Rita ends up mistaking Evan for Quincy, and the wacky mistaken identities plot lurches through to the finale.

This is sitcom-level stuff, even featuring a bit of dialogue along the lines of "he doesn't know I know..." The cast is game, with Foxx turning in a good leading performance. I wished writer/director Daniel Taplitz would stop riding the fence on whether Evan is a heel or not but Chestnut is fine in his undefined role. The rest of the cast is up to the task of doing what they can with the material, with MacNicol coming off best. Taplitz's direction is good, helped with some finely timed editing by Robert Frazen. The musical score is overwhelming, though, with loud cues telling you when something is funny, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Because this plays like an hour and a half sitcom, the "complications" are anything but complicated. Yes, the cast goes through the paces, but their energy seems to drop as the film goes on. Aside from a very funny sight gag, the climax is weak and predictable.

"Breakin' All the Rules" suffers from both familiarity and a lousy title. It's not terrible and not memorable.

Stats:
(2004) 85 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Daniel Taplitz
-Cast: Jamie Foxx, Peter MacNicol, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Esposito, Bianca Lawson, Jill Ritchie, Octavia Spencer, Samantha Nagel, Grace Chan, Danny Comden, Heather Headley, Patrick Cranshaw
(PG-13)