For Colored Girls - The Review

"My love is too complicated to have thrown in my face." - From "For Colored Girls..."


Last week I saw Tyler Perry’s latest film “For Colored Girls.” There are many things that I will say about this film but off the top I will say, I didn’t love it. I will also say I didn’t hate it.
The first issue I had with this film had nothing to do with what was happening on screen. My theater experience was off to a rocky start during the process of trying to get a seat. The theater was so crowded, we were forced into the unfortunate first row to see up close and very personal, what TP had to offer. Taking in the audience before the lights went out let me know that this experience was going to be just as eventful as the actual film on the screen. To my dismay, it was actually more eventful.

The vibe in my theater was quite uneasy for me. I could tell from the second the first credits began to roll that many people surrounding me had no idea this movie was based on a play that was a series of poems. The play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange, was a masterpiece in performance art in the 70’s and has been replicated throughout drama/theater classes in universities across this country as well as depicted on off broadway/local theater stages for the last 30 plus years. The fact that many women sitting around me were confused when the poetry was being recited saddened me. How could they possibly get this depth of the movie if they had no idea what or where it came from? That being said, silence and paying close attention could have served even the most uninformed viewer well, however in my theater there was none of that. What surrounded me throughout the movie was a series of out of place comments, unexplained/unwarranted laughter, and outburst that lasted far too long. The reactions were so odd based on what was happening on screen that I was shocked when the film wrapped and these same people began to clap. I was wondering, what had they just witnessed and what about that garnered applause.

There is not much that I can say about the actual film that hasn’t already been said by most bloggers, critics and movie viewers. But there are a few key points that I seek to reiterate.
It is my opinion that Tyler Perry is not a good film director, producer or actor. I give him credit because he tries really hard. I believe that he needs guidance from quality folks in that industry in order to make a product that will make him worthy of an Oscar. That being said, my expectation for what TP could do with “For Colored Girls” was quite low. I went in expecting absolutely nothing. I was pleasantly surprised when I got a little more than nothing. Again, TP gets a lot of credit from me for even attempting to turn this work of DEEP poetry into a film. He is ambitious beyond belief and in no way can that be overlooked or discarded. He deserved credit for his attempt to bring such a magical work to screen. Although his effort fell flat in my opinion, I still give him all the credit (and my ticket dollars) for even trying.

With a combination of THE best actresses in Black Hollywood (minus Janet), he had a cast that could have recited the ABC’s and we would have been impressed. These women are phenomenal, no question about it. It is clear that TP has affection for Janet Jackson as to why he continues to cast her in films, particularly in roles she is not advanced enough to play. I think he appreciates her ambition. Either that or he just likes her very much personally.
I guarantee you all these actresses (except Janet) signed on to do this film to have a chance to recite the poetry, not to portray another down black woman in a TP film. And therein lies my problem with any TP film. Black women are very tragic in the eyes of TP. And the cause of this tragedy is usually a black man. I am very sick of seeing that on film. And unlike other black directors who put some of the worst of black life on screen, there is no message in a TP film except that going to church (finding God) is the only way to find a decent black man. Furthermore, the road to being a happy black woman must first begin with being dragged so low by a black man that there is nowhere else to go but up. That is not the reality for all black women. But let the last few years of TP films tell it, every black woman is pretty damn tragic. Every black man is angry, abusive or on the down low. Every successful black man will turn evil on you, just wait and see and every black woman is so busy with these men that she looks past the good, God fearing man. I reject that notion. I am not saying that the stories are unrealistic by any means. Yes there are many women going through very terrible things at the hands of men. But for Black women, the tragedy of our experiences is celebrated by Hollywood. That is not true for any other group of women.

Many women I know related to this film. They left the theater pumping their fist, feeling TP had gotten it right once and for all. That finally someone understood the plight of black women and put it to screen. I reject that notion too. I do not relate to TP’s depiction of black women and even worse, his depiction of black men. I think what we see in films from TP is his own personal view of black men and women from his own experiences – neither of which were necessarily positive.

I appreciate that the usual TP buffoonery was left out of this serious film. I promised to walk out if Madea showed up anywhere on screen and thank God she did not. This film was well acted, but poorly directed. With the exception of the original poetry, the film was also poorly written. TP writes in a very simplistic manner, one that either speaks to his skill level or his perception of the intelligence of his audience. Either way, it is not a good thing.

I could go on forever about my thoughts about this film but I am much more interested in what others thought. Feedback please.