Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Diary of a Mad Black Woman (Director: Darren Grant) Release date: February 25

Grant's only previous work was a video for Destiny's Child, "Survivor." This is based on a play by Tyler Perry, who produces, writes, and acts three parts in the film.

As a not-mad white man, a film like this immediately says, "Go away," to most people who are like me. I have no inherent understanding of black culture due to the obvious, nor can I assume that I ever will. Yet, I must admit, that I catch nearly every black-themed flick on the market, even the offensive ones like The Wash. Normally, I come out of movies like Woman Thou Art Loosed and The Best Man seeing filmmakers produce a movie that seems to be crying for legitimacy. I must admit, from what I can gather, that making films like this are extremely difficult--making films by the brothers, about the brothers, and strictly for the brothers (and sisters, don't forget sisters).

So, in many ways, it becomes a critic-proof exercise. It's the equivalent of being in high school and turning in your science project and saying, "If I had more money, under these circumstances, with a little more time, I could really give you something special." These movies are usually the same stories we've seen with white people in the forefront, and many times they veer into made-for-TV territory. I can see why black people look at most movies made by white people and see nothing but white, with a black character thrown in for politics, and usually to keep the white characters in the film amused or teach them something about how they've got no rhythm.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman stars Kimberly Elise, probably the most prolific black actress in the past year--with The Manchurian Candidate and the aforementioned Loosed (a production Perry helped write early on before it was a movie). She's the mad black woman Helen, and she's mad because her no-good lawyer husband Charles (Steve Harris) has thrown her out of the house and wants to focus his attention on his mistress who has also given birth to his kids. He's abusive, has no idea what love is, and in the beginning is a completely one-dimensional bad guy. After her melodramatic exit, she bumps heads with the guy helping her move out, the sexy Orlando (Shemar Moore), beginning the tried-and-true formula of boy and girl hate each other, boy and girl fall in love, and so on. She moves in with her grandmother-figure, Madea (Perry, pulling the Eddie Murphy Nutty Professor duties, also plays Madea's brother Joe), and gets a job, and starts a new life--one without riches and being dependent on men.

Of course, all the characters in the film go under some transformation, including Charles, who shows he's got a good side with a dark past--but it requires him to be handicapped before he realizes what he's been doing wrong. Perry also plays an attorney named Brian who has troubles in his own marriage--his wife is a drug-abuser and he feels like he can't help her after all the deception and relapses.

The movie is christened with a Christian touch, as the not-yet-divorced Helen and suitor Orlando don't have premarital sex, and at one point, I actually thought it was going to try to be really Christian and have Helen accept Charles back. This is where the film very nearly commits treason with its characters. The transformation of Charles isn't really all that believable, and Helen's second thoughts in a really good relationship with Orlando is to be understood but not forgiven when she considers going back with her husband, which strands the winning Orlando for really no good reason.

The movie's message that one door must close before you open another is to be commended, but considering Orlando's character I'm a little surprised he didn't give up himself (having just been in a bad relationship that ended when the woman he was seeing decided to drop him for a rich athlete). There are quite a few overdone scenes--Helen's banishment, Helen's distrust of Orlando, and Helen's opportunity for revenge (scenes that almost make you reconsider whether she's really an apt protagonist).

I will say Perry, despite the shades of Murphy that it recalls, is often winning in his three personas--showing great range all in one movie. Cicely Tyson makes good use of her limited role as Helen's mother Myrtle, the spiritual presence of the film. Elise has been good in everything I've seen her in, but she does tend to come off abrasive a few times in this (Despite her every reason to be angry). Overall, it's a decent flick, but with the proper care might have been better.