THIS 'DIARY' HAS A LOCK ON ALL KINDS OF EXCESS.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic `THIS IS FOR every black woman who's ever had a problem with a black man!'' gun-toting grandma Madea declares as she trashes the mansion of her granddaughter's soon-to-be ex-husband. That battle cry governs most of ``Diary of a Mad Black Woman,'' the screen adaptation of Tyler Perry's popular stage play. It's a stacked- deck exercise in which the betrayed woman is unbelievably innocent and the no-good man cartoonishly wicked. But the movie is made interesting by a tower of lopsided elements Perry piles onto the basic premise. By the time it's over, ``Diary'' has touched on everything ever seen in African-American movies, along with nods to ``What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?'' and ``An Officer and a Gentleman.'' And while this can't help but hold your attention, the pleasant surprise is that - despite its burlesque burlesque (bûrlĕsk`) [Ital.,=mockery], form of entertainment differing from comedy or farce in that it achieves its effects through caricature, ridicule, and distortion. It differs from satire in that it is devoid of any ethical element. , derivativeness and simplistic sim·plism n. The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications. [French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple sermonizing - ``Diary'' comes up with some fascinating character bits. And director Darren Grant, a music vid guy making his feature debut, presents it all in a smooth, elegant package that almost disguises the fact that what we're watching is the narrative equivalent of an eight-ring circus. Our too-good-(and naive)-to-be-true heroine, Helen McCarter (a beautiful and expressive Kimberly Elise), is blindsided when her attorney husband Charles (``The Practice's'' typecast Steve Harris Steve Harris or Stephen Harris may refer to:
On their 18th anniversary. And replaces her with his trashy mistress, with whom he has two children, none of which Helen knew anything about. Though that sounds like valid grounds for breaking the most ironclad ironclad, mid-19th-century wooden warship protected from gunfire by iron armor. The success of the ironclad when first employed by the French in the Crimean War sparked a naval armor and armaments race between France and Great Britain. pre-nup, Helen has no place to go but to Madea's house in the ghetto. Played by Perry in padded drag (he also appears as lecherous lech·er·ous adj. Given to, characterized by, or eliciting lechery. lech  er·ous·ly adv. old Uncle Joe and cousin Brian, a decent lawyer sadly married to Helen's drug-addicted childhood pal), Madea is one of those large, loud caricatures we know well from Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence[1] (born April 16, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. skits and Eddie Murphy's ``Nutty Professor'' movies. But she also leads a long parade of folks who put pampered pam·per tr.v. pam·pered, pam·per·ing, pam·pers 1. To treat with excessive indulgence: pampered their child. 2. Helen back in her proper place, then help her find her real self and its accompanying esteem. These include a super-handsome, soulfully sensitive-to-her-needs suitor SUITOR. One who is a party to a suit or action in court. One who is a party to an action. In its ancient sense, suitor meant one Who was bound to attend the county court, also, one who formed part of the secta. (q.v.) (``Soul Train'' and soap star Shemar Moore); Helen's God-fearing mother (Cicely Tyson); and, well, God, who works in more and more mysterious, not to mention melodramatic, ways as the story progresses. Though lousy with exchanges such as ``What happened to her?'' ``Life,'' ``Diary'' addresses some behavioral and spiritual issues in deep, unexpected ways. It is especially lucid on the subject of vengeance, and even incorporates a debate on that trendy movie topic of the moment, euthanasia. This among the flatulence flatulence /flat·u·lence/ (flat´u-lens) excessive formation of gases in the stomach or intestine. flat·u·lence or flat·u·len·cy n. The presence of excessive gas in the digestive tract. and stoner ston·er n. 1. One that stones. 2. Slang a. One who is habitually intoxicated by alcohol or drugs. b. One who is a delinquent or failure. jokes, gospel shout-outs and empowerment fantasy fulfillment. It's not what you'd call great writing, but you can see how it bought Perry that mansion. Bob Strauss, (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN - Two and one half stars (PG-13: violence, drug use, language) Starring: Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, Tyler Perry, Cicely Tyson. Director: Darren Grant. Running time: 1 hr. 56 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: Everything you can imagine - Christianity, cross-dressing, guns, line dances, exquisite meals - gets shoehorned into a story about a dumped wife's journey of revenge and redemption. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Steve Harris plays a philandering husband, and Kimberly Elise is his wife out for revenge, in ``Diary of a Mad Black Woman.'' |
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