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For Colored Girls Review

November 6, 2010 by · Comments Off on For Colored Girls Review 

For Colored Girls Review, Almost from the moment Ntozake Shange’s “For colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is Enuf” opened on Broadway in 1976, there have been attempts to bring the big screen. For one reason or another, most often money problems or cast, the attempts failed. In 2009, Lionsgate has announced that it had acquired the distribution rights to the adaptation of Tyler Perry, which would be the new title “For girls of color.” The news was greeted almost immediately by equal parts joy and contempt for the fans of the original work. After seeing the movie, I can see that both sides are coming from.

Let me start by admitting that I have read or seen the original. I am familiar with the material in the same way that if someone put a gun to his head and asked me to describe it, there is a possibility that I could in my own way through the BS. I say this because at some point I have the feeling Perry must have felt as if someone had a gun pointed at his head and said to BS his way through a script treatment. Perry is known for inserting hamfistedly certain topics in his films constantly. If there are five couples in the film, four are miserable, two men are on bass, and all women to learn that sex is a horrible thing by the end of the film. I am on record as being a fan because of how terrible life characters, and upgrading work for the 21 st century Shange, Perry apparently understands that the sense of, “Well, someone from contracting HIV, someone doing violated, and uh … oh hell, let’s beat the hell out of each other! ”

Most of the seven actresses, or “Girls” from the title, are really good at thinking characters with histories and motivations. Then you have character Whoopi Goldberg (Alice, or white, as the main female characters have names of colors as well.) I realize that it is not surprising that Whoopi performance is a little light, but it gets to the point that when he shuffled into the screen, which is very often, you realize how subtle comedy is Joy Behar. Alice / White not given much to do but breath, pray, and occasionally hit one of his daughters. Oh, how could I forget, who is also a hoarder. Perry must have seen a lot of A & E, pounding out this script, I can not help thinking how close we were seeing Goldberg play a leader of the cake. Janet Jackson does not come any better. Again, when Perry feels the need to update the characters and their surroundings, things quickly go wrong. “Janet, this is your motivation. You are a successful black woman who probably vote Republican and think your husband might be gay. Also, remember to cough from time to time, because that will be important later in the movie. Now, the action !

Perhaps the best performance of the film, Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) is a welcome sight to see on the big screen, often playing a woman directly to their scenes against Tangie Thandie Newton / Orange. This movie was being promoted as a potential first Perry film Oscar caliber, but if someone associated with FCG has reason for optimism come Oscar time, is Ms. Rashad.

In the end, all women come together and realize how life is shit, but hey, that’s life. My wife said that the end is reminiscent of your average sex and the City episode, except that instead of laughter and martinis, it ends in tears and HIV. Tyler Perry I hope never changes.

For Colored Girls

November 5, 2010 by · Comments Off on For Colored Girls 

For Colored Girls, The actresses who star in the new movie of girls of color have been saying about the press tour that the film is not just for girls of color. It seems crazy that women have to stand up and say that a movie that stars some of our best actresses, African American is not just for a segment of the population based on the title and the fact that the film is populated only by African Americans.

It is like saying the AM The Expendables is exclusively for white men older than 50 years of age, based on the stars of that film.

But we know that the PM is not the case because no one thinks that The Expendables is just for the kids, as well as For Colored Girls is not just for black women.

But, I am cautious about the film from the moment I heard that Tyler Perry was taking the position of director and writer of Nzingha Stewart, who had been the project over grazing. I sure AOM, AOS happy the film was made, but I bet, AOS has been much happier if I had that going.

I bet it would have been much happier, because this film is also not very good. Hollywood’s most difficult to treat cases, sometimes too hard AI, AI with great performances by Loretta Devine and Thandie Newton. But a film about difficult things for many as abuse, abortion, rape, HIV must be able to sustain it. You have to be able to do acceptable things difficult for people to swallow, and this film is quite a long slog that stops short every time women enter the beautiful poetry of Ntozake Shange.

On a final note, I say loudly and clearly that when this movie is not doing well, not the fault of women, the administrative hearing officers or the African-American audience. This film will not do so because there is a good movie. Period.

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