The Ladies Man * (2000, Tim Meadows, Karyn Parsons, Billy Dee Williams, Lee Evans, Will Ferrell, Eugene Levy, Julianne Moore) – Classic Movie Review 8879

American comic Tim Meadows plays sweet-talking Chicago late-night radio advice-show host Leon Phelps, who talks so dirty to his lady callers that he is fired with producer Julie (Karyn Parsons). Also Leon is being chased by all the angry husbands whose wives he has taken to bed.

It is easy to sit stony faced through director Reginald Hudlin’s crass, crude and chilly comedy The Ladies Man, which is packed with smutty, unfunny jokes and unappealing, dislikeable performances.

The forlorn comedy writing finds Tim Meadows struggling with his star role. The vaguely offensive screenplay – okay we know it is meant to be satirical – is very weak and low on good gags, leaving some of the actors, particularly Lee Evans, who plays Barney, seem desperate.

The thin screenplay by Tim Meadows, Dennis McNicholas and Andrew Steele is based on a TV comedy sketch and a character from Saturday Night Live.

Also in the cast are Billy Dee Williams, Will Ferrell, Eugene Levy, Julianne Moore, John Witherspoon, Jill Talley, Sofia Milos, Ken Hudson Campbell, Tamala Jones and David Huband.

Cert 15 in UK.

It cost $24,000,000 and flopped, grossing only $13,616,610 and $13,743,212 worldwide.

The Ladies Man is directed by Reginald Hudlin, runs 84 minutes, is made by Broadway Pictures and SNL Studios, is released by Paramount, is written by Tim Meadows, Dennis McNicholas and Andrew Steele, is shot by Johnny E Jenson, is produced by Lorne Michaels and is scored by Marcus Miller.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8879

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com