Why Do Fools Fall in Love?

Throughout the ups and downs of Frankie Lymon's music career -- which starts with a bang when his group, the Teenagers, unleash the hit song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," Frankie (Larenz Tate) falls in love a couple of times. Well, actually, three. He manages to marry Zola (Halle Berry) of the Platters, Elizabeth (Vivica A. Fox), a pretty, shoplifting mom, and finally, Emira (Lela Rochon), a reserved but beautiful small-town teacher. Years later, angry and looking for contrition, Frankie's widows duke it out in a courtroom over who is the real Mrs. Frankie Lymon -- and who can collect the royalties.

The problem with Gregory Nava's Fools is that it has a pulse but no heart. The flashback-filled story tells us what happened but not why we should care. So Frankie was a doo-wopper who married too many women -- were they better for having known him? Worse? Does it matter who the real wife is or who will get the money? The musical atmosphere and the talented female cast give the film a vibrant push forward, but the so-what ending leaves you wondering what it all was for.

-- Rachel O'Malley