She’s Mad She’s Black and She Kept a Diary
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005): 2 Stars
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| [B]Released on DVD June 28[/B] |
Tyler Perry’s, Diary of a Mad Black Woman started from a small play origins and has grown to the big screen. The film hits on and tries to lighten some fairly serious subject matter, spousal abuse and low self-esteem. Perry pulls off multiple characters without flaw; his truly most inspiring part is Madea (short for mother dear), a gun totting, blunt speaking woman of faith who is the matriarch to the family. Overall, the rest of the cast is dull and portrayed a very unrealistic reaction to their character circumstances.
Helen (Kimberly Elise) is a woman who has become accustomed to a very wealthy way of life, but accepts her position as her husband’s, Charles (Steve Harris), second choice and mental and physical beating post. Along the way, Helen keeps a diary, a constant running dialogue about what is happening in her failing marriage and what she wishes would come about to correct it. She arrives home one night, after an awards ceremony for her husband, to find all her stuff loaded in a moving truck and her husband and his new fling taking residence in their home. Charles physically kicks Helen out after not taking the hint and tells her he wants a divorce. Helen has no where to go and no one to count on, but Madea. She shows up at Madea’s front door step trying to play it all off as if nothing has happened, but Madea, being the intelligent quick experienced woman she is figures it out. The next morning chain saw in one hand and handgun in the the other, Madea shows up at the mansion with Helen to split their belongings the proper way.
Helen spends a great deal of the time whining and crying about poor pitiful me and wanting her husband to take her back. Along the way she gets the attention of a hard working, soft spoken man who has the faith of hundreds and only the sweat on his brow to support him, Orlando (Shemar Moore). So wrapped up in her own problems and self-pitying prognosis, Helen doesn’t even take notice, but long enough to start arguments and nasty little fights with Orlando. He tries with all his might to be patient and woo her, trying to build her self-esteem back up and give her a little faith of her own.
Charles double crossed one of his rotten clients and got himself shot and in a wheelchair with no use of his limbs or voice. Helen finds this to be the opportune moment to get even with all Charles has done to her. It took too long for Helen to get mad and even, and what she does is bordering on the lines of pure torture. It gets so bad, she doesn’t feed or bath him and spends all her time verbally abusing him. The audience starts to feel pity for this poor soul and that shouldn’t be the affect that the film was looking for. He deserves to be shot with the way he treated her, but maybe being shot was enough. Helen hits a point where she realizes that she is no longer in love with Charles and has accomplished what she wanted. In An Officer and Gentleman moment, Helen runs out on the factory floor begging for Orlando’s forgiveness and hand in marriage.
Here is a list of the extras and stuff offered on the DVD. The review copy that Lions Gate Films provided me with did not have extras on it so I can’t provide you with a proper review of the extras.
DVD Features
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Screen 1.33
Audio
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0 English
Subtitles English, Spanish
Additional Release Material
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary Tyler Perry, Director/Star
Original Theatrical Trailer
Bonus Trailers 1. Tyler Perry Collection
Interactive Features
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Photo Gallery
Trailer Gallery
The film doesn’t work, Helen takes way too long to get mad and goes too far on getting even. The best part is Tyler Perry’s characters and the storyline that shows you don’t need to take abuse from anybody and no matter what the situation you must get out. Open the door, step out the door and step one foot in front of the other; don’t be afraid to ask for a little help and don’t look back.
If you enjoyed Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman, then be sure to check out his plays; Perry is quite talented at both storyline and characters. He truly was the saving grace to this film.
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Lions Gate Films
Rated: PG-13, for drug content, thematic elements, crude sexual references and some violence
Starring: Kimberly Elise, Tyler Perry, Steve Harris
Directed by: Darren Grant
Full Details