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Studio:
Plot:
A plus-size aspiring fashion designer obsessed with her weight changes the way the world sees female beauty. |
Cast:
Mo'Nique, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Godfrey, Kendra C. Johnson, Joyful Drake, Dayo Ade, Felix Pire |
Rating:
Bottom Line:
Coverage:
by Samantha Ofole-Prince
With a book titled "Skinny Women Are Evil", a clothing line for plus size women and the full-figured pageant show on the Oxygen Network, actress and comedian MoNique is definitely on a fat crusade, and the first question that springs to mind when one sees the trailer to this charming little flick is: do we need another full-bodied feature? If its engaging and compelling -- yes -- and Phat Girlz ultimately meets that criteria.
In Phat Girlz, Monique is Jazmin Biltmore, a sassy, plus size sales clerk at Bloomfelds with a numerous stash of dietary pills, and a gregarious personality. Obsessed with losing some her 200lb plus frame despite having a huge appetite for fast-food joints, she aspires to be a fashion designer. Her luck soon changes when she snags first prize tickets in a competition and ends up at a luxurious Five Star resort in Palm Springs where a chance meeting with the handsome African doctor Tunde Jonathan (Jimmy Jean-Louis) changes her life.
Written and directed by newcomer Nnegest Likke, this flicks humor is instantaneous. Scenes from Jazmins childhood, which are reminiscent of the popular sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris," in terms of narrative style are hilarious to watch, and her sidekicks; the plus size Stacey (Kendra C. Johnson) and her skinny cousin Mia (Joyful Drake) inject that extra blend of eclectic wit. There are business locations such the First Plantation Bank, where MoNique is denied a business loan, the local burger joint, Fat-Ass-Burger, which serves Big Booty Burger combos, plenty of catchy one-liners and a very infectious and energetic cast.
Filmed in Los Angeles and Palm Springs on a low budget, Phat Girlz is a sweet and romantic feel good movie about acceptance in a narrow minded society and like all good movies, it crosses over to wide audiences as its characters are abundantly lovable and relatable. There is an emerging genre of comedies, which poke fun at plus size people, and with its acronym Phat Girlz isnt one. Tastefully done, it is flawless in its execution and is smart, funny, positive, brutally honest and well-textured. Phat Girlz is a lighthearted, lightweight dramatic comedy that delicately handles subject the subject of inferiority.
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