One of Them Days

 

Lawrence Lamont's One of Them Days, written by Syretta Singleton, is a vibrant and profane laff riot that follows the surefire day-of-disaster formula that is a staple of urban feature films (Friday, The Hangover, Go, to name just three).

This energetic treat finds Angeleno besties and roommates Dreux (Keke Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA) on the verge of being evicted from their decrepit apartment in The Jungles, a predicament created when Alyssa entrusted the rent money to her leeching but sexually gifted boyfriend, Keshawn, (Joshua David Neal), who, rather than pay the landlord (Rizi Timane), used the dollars to start a line of T-shirts -- "Cucci." (Yes, the humor is broad and utterly adults-only.)

Dreux (pronounced "Dru") is rightfully livid and collars Alyssa into a series of money-making schemes to collect the needed $1,500, each more outlandish the one before. Both Palmer and SZA are ablaze here, giving the "buddy picture" a complete, sistah-girl makeover.

The movie straddles the line between "street" and "slapstick" but presents the struggles of the urban underclass with keen insight, I thought. In the Jungles, work is precarious, sketchy hustles abound, and opportunities for advancement must be seized when they present themselves, even when the sky is falling. Relationships run the gamut from diehard to predation, with many women missing out on genuine connections because potential mates are swallowed up by the streets.

Lamont does a lot in the film's 90 minutes; the leads are totally winning, the laughs are steady and the raucous conclusion as neat as a pin curl.