For Colored Girls

I will start by saying that I am not a Tyler Perry fan. I don't generally watch or enjoy his movies. I was also hesitant to see this play turned into a movie, but my husband really wanted to see it, so I went somewhat reluctantly to see how TP would butcher this play.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the play is not something that can be easily rendered into a movie. It's more of a performance than a traditional "play". There is not a coherent plot, and even the vignettes are often incomplete stories. The men that are central actors in the womens' stories are completely voiceless and have no role in the play whatsoever. The dialog from the different characters is beautiful and elegant and haunting, so to be true to the story you have to keep the language that is used.

So, it's a difficult situation to be in, no plot really to paraphrase or "adapt" with very precise language that needs to be incorporated to keep the beauty of the piece. It is a task that a better filmmaker than TP should have tackled....but it's doubtful that anyone who had the talent AND the juice to make this movie actually would have, so TP is all that's left.

The film is choppy at parts...NOT seamlessly interweaving the added plot-driven dialog with the elegant and colorful soliloquies from the original play. Also, some of the particular poems seem oddly-placed, and out of context.

However, the performance of the pieces did give a meaning that reading the play does not. Pieces that I understood in one way when I read them took on a different and more potent meaning when I saw them being performed in the context of the film. The delivery of most (not all) of the poems and the character portrayals generally was excellent.

There is some overacting (Kerry Washington in particular stood out as overdone to me), and some of Tyler Perry's typical caricatures (if you are a light-skinned man with a high paying job....you are a bastard!), but if I evaluated this movie based on whether my understanding and experience of the text was expanded by this film, I would say it was.

Perhaps if I had seen the performance I would evaluate this film less kindly, but I think that if you come in understanding 1) it is a lofty performance piece being rendered as film, and 2) it has incorporated some of the performance aspect of the play into the film, I think you could appreciate it and enjoy it.

After reading the early reviews of For Colored Girls, I walked in not really expecting much but a lot of drama. I have to say that i mostly disagree with the bad reviews, but I understand the issues with the movie.

Lets start with the good: The acting was great. Loretta devine's voice was very annoying at times, but she made me laugh and knew how to play with the character. Anika Noni Rose did very well from being on top, then falling, then picking up the pieces. She has great potential for being something great. Tessa Thomas made me fall in love with her!!!! OMG!!!! With hard work, she can do something spectacular. She did very well with her emotional scenes and was very believable. Whoppi was hilarious but it wasn't Oscar worthy. She's still got it though. Kerry Washington did well with what she was given. I wish she stood out more but it was great seeing her on screen. The entertainment factor was on point. There were some scenes hard to watch and some things unexpected, but it kept you enthralled in the film

THE BAD: OMG... JANET!!!!! I had so much faith in her performance but once again, I was let down. She just doesn't have it! Her lines and acting was so frozen and she looked like a mannequin in tears. Its so frustrating because I know she can do so much better. Phlyica Rashad's character was absolutely wasted. But for what she was given, she was amazing. Tyler should have used such a great actress more extensively and I was waiting for Phlycia to steal my heart. I did love the way Phylicia recited her poem to Thandie in her apartment room. Her reading was sooo believable and well executed. The transition from the poem to the Tyler's language was so drastic and not fluid at all. You could easily tell when the actresses went from his writing to the books. It just didn't work for me but it was challenging working with great choreopoems. I love Thandie Newton to death and she did a good job acting in this movie, but in some scenes, she overdid it. It was a little too much that she was giving, but overall it was a good body of work.

Finally: OMG!!!! Please give Kimberly Elise an Oscar Nomination. She took my breath away with her performance. It was heartbreaking and spellbinding. If she doesn't get a nomination, I will be floored. She is long overdue and her acting was superb!!!!!!!

Overall, this is Tyler's best but he still has room to grow. Just go and see the movie for yourself and please have an open mind. Good job Tyler and I expect you to grow from this point forward.

Let me start off by saying that I am NOT a fan of Tyler Perry's past movies, television shows, or plays. They are not funny and over the top. Just not my cup of tea. However, I thoroughly found this movie worth the $10.50 I paid to see it on opening night. Some of the other reviews were surprising. At no point did I feel the movie to be slow. In fact, I thought the movie constantly pounded on our emotions to almost a point of exhaustion. I also thought that the prose to fit fairly well with the dialog. There were times when two people were talking at the same time that made it difficult to follow, but I understood the intent and liked the effect. Tyler has made progress in his directing abilities. He still has work to do, but this was by far his best work. I look forward to seeing this movie again.

As for the acting...Rashad, Devine, Elise, Newton, and Rose were the standouts. In fact, I cannot see anyone except Loretta Devine in that role now...she owned it! Whoopie is still a superb actress. I agree with many other reviewers, Janet Jackson just does not have it. I question Tyler's judgement in picking Janet for a fairly meaty role. Clearly she patterned much of her part from Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada" and did not pull it off. She looked terrific though! Other seasoned more proved actresses could have done a much better job with that role. Halle, Vivica or even Robin Givens anyone? Bring your tissues. Pay attention. It is a good movie.

This is very much a piece of art. Determining the value of a piece of art is very personal. This movie may speak to some and may bore others to death. This movie needed editing, probably shaving a good 30 minutes off wouldn't have hurt. It has some very powerful scenes and is definitely not a movie to see because you want to just relax and laugh.

That being said, I am very disappointed that one poster decided to comment not about the movie but about their own personal prejudices about black women, and probably black people in general. I'd like to point out, that NOT ONE woman in this film was on welfare. NOT ONE woman in this movie was living off "the tax payers" and NOT ONE woman in this film was living on easy street. If you just want to rant about your own personal prejudices then go to one of the political blogs. This is supposed to be an honest discussion about the movie.

This was by far one of the best and most realistic movies I have seen in a long time. I was actually shocked to see bad reviews that were so blatantly disrespectful to those of us who liked the movie. i.e commenting that if we liked it we must think Mc.Donald's is good food. Our goal here is to comment on the movie.

Yes it was graphic, yes it was vulgar and yes it will make you cry. However, the women in this movie all had issues I know myself and most other women of color could relate to in some way. If you were one of the people who may have thought there was just too much going on in this movie to be real I would say praise God you were afforded the opportunity to live in a box your entire life. I am a triple degree college graduate who came from the ghetto and an abused home so I know this stuff really happens. I am just happy for a change it wasn't sugar coated.

This was one of Tyler Perry's best work even if it did make me sad. Sad because I can just think of all the people I know and women who are just like those in the movie living on no hope or false hope. In the end it reminded me I need to do a better job in sharing my Witness the gospel of Jesus Christ. Great Movie!!!!!