This is theatre. And it lives up pretty well to the title.
The writer-director gathers a broad range of 10 typical gender stereotypes and then uses them to voice different views on love and relationships, with no holding back on opinions. And during the process one learns how love underpins so much in life. for example, the guys have been friends since high school, so they have both the freedom to say what they really think and the respect not to let it spoil their friendship. And the simple revelation at the end sums it all up - though I think the Cuba Gooding character went overboard in his interpretation of it.
When his girl, clearly reluctant to terminate the relationship and hoping there was still a foundation there, said "let's sit down and talk about it", the answer should've been "yes, let's do that" not "no - you go away and think about what you really want". That doesn't negate the idea that giving your loved one freedom, if the love is strong enough they will come back to you. But any relationship is built on the combination of the two parties, not the decisions of one of them.
The story is hung on that relationship, which highlights the sadness of life's crossed wires. They've been in the relationship for 3 years and she seems to have reached the point where his reluctance to make the final commitment suggests they don't have a future together. Little does she know that: 1) he has always been committed exclusively to her, despite steering away from formal marriage; and 2) he has decided he wants to take that final step, has bought the ring, and invited his friends round to share the moment of his Valentine's Day proposal - although his misogynistic friend thought it was just a party, so he invited the pretty girls to join them. Their 'arrival' scene was out of place, however, and should've been cut, as it basically only represented his view of women and detracted from the balanced dialogue of the rest of the film.
I am sorry this film did so badly at the box office, as it offers so much more than the usual movie fare. I think it would make a worthy project to take to the theatre, which is ideally suited to this format.
Review of What Love Is
