Why Do Fools Fall in Love

REVIEW
An energetic courtroom drama/musical biography of Frankie Lymon, Why Do Fools Fall in Love tells the story of the 1950s doo-wop singer/songwriter from the perspective of his three widows, each of whom is fighting for his estate. Director Nava's film milks the story for all its sensationalism, emphasizing the cattiness of the spurned women: Elizabeth (Fox), Zola (Berry), and Emira (Rochon), as they recall how Frankie (Tate) treated them. While Fools is enjoyable because it plays like a soap opera, it adresses some of its serious themes -- racism, drug addiction, and the improprieties of music executives -- too casually. Tate is magnetic as Lymon, and Fox makes the best impression if only because she is the most vocal of the three women.