***And again, if you have not seen this movie and have plans to, please don't read this. I will ruin it for you.***
Anywhoo, let's begin with the good: the message was clear. All of the typical "anti-cheating" cliches went through my mind while watching--"the 80/20 rule," "All things that glitter ain't gold," "When someone shows you who they really are, believe them"--and every saying in between. TP and the team were true to the message. Judith (Jurnee) had her 80% with Brice (Lance), but Harley (Robbie) showed her that oh-so-sexy 20%, and Judith was out like a light.
Let's examine the differences in these men.
Brice was great, but he got too comfortable. Judith's future endeavors weren't top priority. Brice didn't remember Judith's birthday (second year in a row). Brice was consumed with work. Brice failed to make Judith feel protected and wanted. Brice. Brice. Brice (smh). At the peak of comfort, in walks super sexy, swaggerific Harley, with his big money (enough to buy Judith's endeavors gift-wrapped--HELLO), spontaneity, attentiveness, and animal-like desire and willingness to "protect." Miss Judith, Southern-bred and naive, denied...resisted...and ultimately fell victim to Harley's pursuit. His 20% was gleaming like a mo-fo.
Now, if you're reading this and you haven't seen the movie (God forbid), you're probably wondering, What the heck did Brice have, exactly? Brice was dedicated and loving. Brice provided logic and stability. Brice was cute and corny with a nice bod. But those concepts weren't enough. It's one thing to know, another to show. Judith knew what Brice had for her, but again, Brice got comfortable and did not show her.
But anyone can get comfortable, and when Harley conquered Judith, his comfort resulted in abuse. He beat her, he disrespected her, he controlled her. Judith was just a conquest for Harley, nothing more. Now, if you know me, I'm not one to victim-blame; HOWEVER, I peeped the warning signs. In the midst of conquering Judith, Harley let her know in more ways than one that he "loves" dangerously. He admitted to being crazy! He did not respect her morals and Christian beliefs. Above all, he did not give a hot pile of you-know-what for her marriage. The neon-red warning signs were beaming, but Judith still fell.
The ending was appropriate, considering the HIV twist.
Beyond the plot, TP stayed true to his morals in the making of this movie. The movie had sex, drugs, abuse/violence, and profanity, but TP wasn't excessive. This movie could have been RAUN.CHY. For example, when Judith and Harley used cocaine, you didn't see them actually snort. You would see them bend over it, or wipe their noses after, but never actually snort. Could've been some seriously wild sex scenes and even violent scenes, but TP didn't go there. Really, he didn't need to. One could say he played it too safe, but I appreciated the boundaries. So, two thumbs up in staying true.
And the movie had its hilarious moments! You can always count on TP for the funny.
On to the Cons!
The beginning was kind of slow to me. I feel like too much time was spent on showing the evolution Judith and Brice's relationship. From the evolution of the relationship (which started at age six btw) to marriage then its stagnant state...It was just too long for me. Maybe I was just ready for the juice...Don't get me wrong, it was necessary, but lengthy.
Kim K's acting. I love this woman, but she was just as emotionless as a forehead with fresh botox injections. I felt like she memorized the lines, but didn't rehearse or attempt to engage the audience through her character. She was a perfect Ava--an exotic, smart-mouth fashionista--but a little more emotion or personality to the lines would've made me love Ava more.
The movie had some predictable parts. For example, as soon as Melinda (Brandy) was introduced, I knew she had some relationship with Harley. When she mentioned an abusive ex, I was like, "Yep, Harley's ex." When Melinda revealed that she had HIV, though?? Definitely surprising.
I also wish more could've been put into the de-escalation. Like, I wanted to see a genuine downfall for Harley. Like, couldn't he have gotten shot? Arrested? Drug overdose? Media humiliation???? I think TP dropped the ball on Harley's character.
Overall, I enjoyed the movie, more so for the message. Not a typical happy ending, but that depends on the viewer. There are so many ways this movie could've ended, but I found it to be realistic. Brice remarried (I don't know many men who would've stayed), Judith came back down to earth, etc. Nothing too dramatic, just realistic.
But there's my take on it. I love Tyler Perry, so I look forward to future work.
--DJ
No comments:
Post a Comment