Diary Of A Mad Black Woman Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)February 25th, 2005
DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *
With tonal shifts so abrupt that they could give you motion sickness, DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN goes from cheesy soap opera to bad slapstick to gooey romance to mean-spirited farce before ending up with one of the most utterly ridiculous and sappy endings in recent memory.
The story starts as Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise) is celebrating her eighteenth wedding anniversary with her husband, Charles (Steve Harris), the Atlanta lawyer of the year. Together they share a home worthy of European royalty, but they don't share any love. She still pines for him, but his response is to hire a guy in a U-Haul to drive her and her clothes away from him forever.
In the second act, Tyler Perry, who chews up the scenery in a variety of male and female roles, plays the central figure of Madea, a grandmotherly figure. Madea comes to Helen's aid with a chainsaw, demolishing Charles's sofa and the rest of his furniture. Helen, due to a prenup, is destined to be penniless, according to Charles.
The third act has Helen fall for a dreamboat named Orlando (Shemar Moore). They say lines that include, and I'm not making this up: "Dear Diary. He smells so good. What's the catch?" and "I know you don't believe in fairy tales, but, if you did, I'd want to be your knight in shining armor."
The last act is an over-the-top revenge farce that isn't worth discussing
The movie's frequent "twists" are as predictable as they are completely and utterly unbelievable. I had the urge to walk out after a half hour. I am sorry I resisted.
DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN runs a long 1:56. It is rated PG-13 for "drug content, thematic elements, crude sexual references and some violence" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, February 25, 2005. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters and the Century theaters.
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