Retro Review: A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)

A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

1996

Cast: Martin Lawrence, Lynn Whitfield, Regina King, Bobby Brown, Della Reese 

Genre: Black Comedy-Romance 

U.S Box Office Gross: over $30 million 

Plot: A womanizer's ways catches up with him when he pursues Brandi

'Hate The Playa' Not The Game, A Play On Fatal Attraction'

Club manager and (serial) womaniser Darnell spots an attractive woman, Brandi, who is also wealthy, after ignoring the advice of his wise mother and those of his childhood friend, Mia who just returned to the neighbourhood. It isn't long, however, until he and Brandi end up sleeping with each other. When Darnell turns his attentions to other women, Brandi doesn't take it that well, nor is she by no means, impressed when he decides to dump her ass; alas, in reprisal she tries to make his life a misery &  turning into Glenn Close of Fatal Attraction. 

Subtlety isn't one of Lawrence's strong points, especially in this dark comedy picture that disguises itself as a romantic comedy of sorts; Darnell isn't even romantic or empathetic enough to root for, rather he is egotistical who thinks he is God's gift, some horrible & crude language taints the film and whilst it tries to be similar to Boomerang, contrary to that movie, 'A Thin Line...' comes nowhere close in terms of offering something that is of tact, wit and style. 

When the script calls for a Romeo of whom we can root for, what we get instead is a womaniser who, through Martin's persistent mugging, is rather shameless & repellent, who lacks empathy and likability and whose actions are called into question. 

As the film progresses, whilst it feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be and settles for a particular direction & sticks with it, the story actually becomes more enticing and I got into it more as for what it was about a guy getting his comeuppance for being a jerk to women & in a chronology of several of his (failed) relationships, A Thin Line turns into a Fatal Attraction -style story. As far as Martin Lawrence -led films go (& one he co-wrote, co-produced as well), this is the second favourite I have seen of his in contrast to the Big Momma movies and his low-budget comedies with Bad Boys first, despite the mistreatment of the female characters and his less than meaningful direction.  

A comedy-ish crime thriller which grossed $30million in U.S theaters, this is a bit of a mixed bag, but for me by no means is it as horrendous and unwatchable as others have said and made out; I didn't care for Bobby Brown's character (or Bobby Brown at all), I didn't like Darnell, Lynn Whitfield was all right in her role, I liked Della Reese's character, whereas I felt Regina King's part could have been a little meatier. A Thin Line Between Love & Hate is not that particularly amusing so to speak that it had me laughing, yet it was somewhat intriguing to see a take on toxic masculinity that was upfront and honest, rather than one that was sugarcoated and watered down. & with that, I liked that aspect. 

Does that mean the movie was great though? Erm no, and it never truly emphasised anything of particular worth we should know or of which we already know; even when it comes to exploring the concept of 'love', of the opposite sex and of how the two genders differ when it comes to attitudes to sex, relationships, love, but I got into the story more as it went on. As for style, it is zero in that department. I still wouldn't mind watching this again, especially if I am bored. 

The key for was in me enjoying A Thin Line more than I should have; irrespective of the poorly developed characters, irrespective of one of the least desirable and sympathetic lead characters in a film played by Martin Lawrence, Darnell, who irked me throughout (at no stage throughout did he seem to change for better, nor were there signs that indicated that he became a better person), that bar Brandi, had the story not improved later on in the film - which it did, the film would be lost in its way, completely. Also, the idea of having Martin Lawrence as the male eye candy & loser-in-love in a romantic comedy-type film, or as a romantic-type lead wouldn't be so bad, - had he had or displayed any emotional or sentimental traits as such. When he used and hurt those women he had so-called loved and treated, it is implied that we only see it from Darnell's perspective and how it affects him and not them, when we also see it from Brandi's side as well, as she feels manipulated and unworthy of his affections.

Final Verdict:

Anyhow, so long as you don't approach it as realism and given the ending isn't as shabby as one anticipates, I could say this is all right, but me personally that is as far as it goes. 

Overall: