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Lawrence Lamont, first time feature director of Keke Palmer and SZA’s new theatre movie, “One of Them Days,” fell in love with filmmaking while writing stories in his grandmother’s basement in Detroit. During the premiere screening in his hometown, Lamont remembers when it was his dream to make movies. “I wrote so many scripts down there using up the ink on her printer … Being a filmmaker is what I’ve always dreamed it to be, at least for me,” says Lamont. Now living the life of a Los Angeles-based film director, Lamont admits that the process of getting his first feature length film can be a long process. “It can be a long process but mostly what I do is lots of problem-solving. I always try to approach things with calmness and kindness, I think treating people like you want to be treated can go a long way especially when you’re under such a high pressure situation like making a movie. You’ve heard the horror stories; people yelling at each other or throwing stuff, I want to make sure that I’m the complete opposite of that. If I can instill that as the director on the film’s set, the film will vibrant that energy.” 

THE ONE, NOT THE TWO

Vibrant personalities and energies run rampant throughout “One of Them Days,” a hilariously authentic comedy starring Keke Palmer as “Dreux” and her bestie/roommate SZA (Alyssa) who have one of the worst and best days of their lives in the film that releases Friday January 17 in theaters. The plot revolves around an incident that leaves the roommates without many options to come up with money fast before being evicted. At the film’s opening, Dreux has just gotten off her night shift at the local diner where she is up for a promotion as franchise manager. “Right before Dreux goes into her interview, Alyssa is outside hyping her up. Keke is all frazzled and SZA is telling her to calm down, ‘You’re the one, not the two!, ‘You’re the one, not the two!’ I think that’s such a special moment and I loved the payday scene when Katt Williams is first introduced…I just love them all. All of them are my favorite cameos but Katt Wiliams was just so much fun.”

With a string of one and two scene-stealing cameos from Lil Rel Howery, {The Buyer} Vanessa Bell Calloway  {Mama Ruth} and Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James {Ruby}, “One of them Days” can be non-stop action, one-liners, and recognizable situations. Happening in the span of 24 hours in the heart of Los Angeles’ Leimert Park, the film feels like an updated version of ‘Friday,” with strong female characters and a slew of modern day situations that all promise immediate resolutions. “When I first got the script, I felt like I knew these characters; they were my mom and my cousins, my aunts and uncles. I knew these people,” remembers Lamont. “What resonated in this film with me the most was just Drew’s whole character. I feel like I’m a ‘Drew’; people ask if I’m a ‘Drew,’ or ‘Alyssa,’ how she plans and she goes hard striving for this better life. I feel like that was me getting to this point. All the no’s, pitching stories and then you think you have a deal and then just as it’s about to happen, the deal falls through but as long as you don’t give up that ‘yes’ right around the corner.”

DREAMING OF A BETTER LIFE

Dreux’ dream for a better life is just one interview away, believing that she has what it takes to climb the corporate ladder. But another situation also requires her immediate attention the same day as her landlord, Uche,  demands $1500 in rent that she just asked her roommate about a few moments earlier. Best friend, Alyssa, assured her that it had already been paid but through her boyfriend Lolo. We learn soon after, he spent it as an “investment” in his entrepreneurial T-shirt line.

With the eviction deadline and her life-changing interview winding down, Dreux and Alyssa have to rely on their community and street smarts to come up with a plan to raise the money.