Deliver Us From Eva Release Date: February 7, 2003 Starring: LL Cool J, Gabrielle Union Directed by: Gary Hardwick
PREMIERE.COM'S REVIEW (posted 2/7/03)
Many things come to mind when one thinks of LL Cool J, but Shakespeare isn't usually one of them, at least until now. Deliver Us From Eva, a romantic comedy starring LL (who prefers to be known professionally by his given name, James Todd Smith), reminds me more than a little of The Taming of the Shrew. (But don't expect to hear anyone utter "Momma sayeth knock you out!")
Three devoted dudes (Duane Martin, Mel Jackson, and Dartanyan Edmonds) adore their lady loves, three beautiful sisters (Essence Atkins, Robinne Lee, and Meagan Good). The only problem is, the fourth and oldest sister, an unmarried health inspector named Eva (Gabrielle Union of Bring It On and Welcome to Collinwood), is bitter, mean, and, well, a shrew. The women lost their parents in a car crash years ago, and now Eva runs the lives of her sisters and ruins the lives of their men. Desperate to get her out of their hair forever, the guys hire a charming lady-killer named Ray (LL, natch) to sweep Eva off her feet and distract her from bugging everybody else. Unlike Petruchio, who uses harsh strategies with Kate in the Bard's play, the extremely smooth Ray tames Eva with gentle, sweet love.
Union deftly makes the switch from a character you love to hate to one who's fun to root for. Union was terrific as the sexy and driven head cheerleader who was Kirsten Dunst's nemesis in Bring It On, and it's great to see her eating up a leading lady role. As for LL, he's understated and charming, and the screen loves him. And perhaps most impressive of all, I forgot after about five minutes that he was LL Cool J (not a small feat when you consider the disastrous big-screen turns of other singers-turned-thesps). Overall, he delivers an immensely pleasing, touching performance. But don't call it a comeback —he's been here for years.
