Tag: whoopi goldberg

LUCK – Review

Okay parents, the countdown to the return of the school year is close to single-digit days. Really, hard to believe, eh? Well before you start stockpiling blender ingredients for a celebratory beverage, you’ve still got to keep them entertained in the hazy last couple of Summer weekends (naturally the temps are still soaring almost everywhere). So, that may warrant a multiplex trek for some matinee fare for them. If they’re leaning toward the animated features, then it’s almost certain they’ve caught up with the Minions (maybe more than once). And if the kiddos are very “pre-K” the PG-rated superhero slapstick of DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS may be a tad overwhelming. Ah, but there is a PG alternative (very rare) opening this weekend. It’s the feature animated debut of a new “player” in the field, though a few familiar faces are behind the scenes. Like the film’s heroine, these “newbies” are hoping for a big “heapin’ helpin'” of good, good LUCK.


Now that heroine is an energetic eighteen-year-old woman named Sam Greenfield (voice of Eva Noblezada), who we first see helping her eight-year-old BFF Hazel make an online music video to the early Madonna tune “Lucky Star”. The two live in a group foster home and Sam is hoping the project will take her pal’s mind off of her upcoming “weekend visit” with some possible parents. Sam’s been through it many times before, with lots of letdowns, and now she’s aged out. The house’s supervisor takes her to her new apartment in the city, just blocks from her new job at a “plants and crafts” retail store. Believing to be “cursed” with bad luck, Sam almost misses her first “work day” due to multiple calamities (“alarm failure”, “locked in the bathroom”. “drops toast which lands jam side-down”, etc.). Happily her affable boss Marv (Lil Rel Howery) “cuts her some slack”. That night Sam can’t get a table at the neighborhood eatery, so she shares a sandwich with a friendly black cat at the curb. The kitty dashes, leaving behind a sparkly penny. Sam keeps it, intending to give it to Hazel for her art project. The next morning things go extremely well, making Sam think that the coin has reversed her luck. And then she drops it “you know where” in the store restroom. That night Sam returns to the diner hoping to see the cat once more. When he strolls over she tells him what happened. And he talks back! Bob (Simon Pegg) leads her on a merry chase, ending in an alley where he drops down into a magical glowing portal. Sam follows and soon finds herself in the “Land of Luck” where she and Bob begin a hectic quest to retrieve that “lucky penny” and restore the balance of luck in that dimension and in Sam’s world.

Oh, the new studio I mentioned earlier? It’s Skydance Animation a branch of Skydance Media working out of Madrid (formerly Llion Studios). And the familiar name behind the film is none other than John Lassiter. The marketers are hyping the flick as being from the “minds behind TOY STORY”, but not mentioning that he was booted out of Disney Pixar during the MeToo movement. And this irked lots of SA staffers. But how’s the flick itself? Well, he couldn’t have picked a more mediocre first effort there. Perhaps it earned the “G” rating due to its complete lack of “bite”, really it’s toothless and so bland. Eh, aside from some truly unneeded scatology in which we learn that “Bad Luck Land” has a whole subdivision dedicated to canine excrement. Plus we get a long “hold shot” of a drone just grabbed from a sewage treatment plant, looking as though it’s been dipped in Chocolate (oh that it was). And just somehow the main “hero’s objective” is more convoluted than the last two MISSION IMPOSSIBLE flicks (also from Skydance BTW). Oh, the visual look conforms to the generic script, with human characters whose eyes take up two-thirds of their heads leaving them with teeny mouths barely readable. The giant dragon (voiced by Jane Fonda making her animation debut) has an interesting “molded plastic” vinyl toy feel (ready for the merch). However, Bob the Cat is “meh”, along with his voice as Pegg gives out his Scottish brogue from the Trek reboots and makes us think of Shrek. But that’s not the end of the “homages” (more like lifts) as Jeff the Unicorn (voiced by Flula Borg) seems to somehow be a close relation to the bouncing Germanic pig from the SING series (and what’s with the bushy “trash-stash”). The closest the tale has to a “baddie” is Whoopi Goldberg’s “The Captain” who comes off as a mildly annoyed librarian. Here’s a heads up for the talented Mr. Howery: perhaps steer clear of smiling guys wearing name tags as you’re recalling your FREE GUY role. If the film looked interesting it might make the endless 105 minutes seem less of an unending slog as it mercilessly spins its wheels (they’ve got to get another “device”…c’mon). The very smallest viewers may be entranced for a bit by the colors and the animals, but the best bet for adults might be streaming so they can drop “in and out’ of this listless drek. Otherwise, they’ll feel as though they’ve completely run outta’ LUCK.

1/2 Out of 4

LUCK opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on Apple TV+ beginning on Friday, August 5, 2022

First Trailer For Director Chinonye Chukwu’s TILL Is Here Starring Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall and Whoopi Goldberg

(L to R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley and Whoopi Goldberg as Alma Carthan in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

From director Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency), comes the true story of Emmett Till and Mamie Till Mobley, and a mother’s fight for justice.

Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. In Mamie’s poignant journey of grief turned to action, we see the universal power of a mother’s ability to change the world.

The film will have it’s world premiere at the 60th New York Film Festival.

Watch the official trailer for TILL.

TILL stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley and Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till, also starring Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett, and Whoopi Goldberg

The director says of the film:

“The crux of this story is not about the traumatic, physical violence inflicted upon Emmett – which is why I refused to depict such brutality in the film – but it is about Mamie’s remarkable journey in the aftermath. She is grounded by the love for her child, for at its core, TILL is a love story. Amidst the inherent pain and heartbreak, it was critical for me to ground their affection throughout the film. The cinematic language and tone of TILL was deeply rooted in the balance between loss in the absence of love; the inconsolable grief in the absence of joy; and the embrace of Black life alongside the heart wrenching loss of a child.”

(L to R) Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Bradley in TILL, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

I hope viewers will empathize with the humanities on screen and see our present cultural and political realities within this film. And I hope that Mamie’s story helps us all to realize the power within ourselves to continue to fight for the change we want to see in the world, just as she did.”

TILL is written by Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp and Chinonye Chukwu.

(L to R) Director Chinonye Chukwu and actor Jalyn Hill on the set of TILL, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures © 2022 ORION PICTURES RELEASING LLC. All Rights Reserved.

TILL will be in Select Theaters October 14th and everywhere October 28th.

https://www.unitedartistsreleasing.com/till/

See Where Good Luck Is Born In The Trailer For The Animated Film LUCK – Debuts On Apple TV+ August 5

From Apple Original Films comes the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, who when she stumbles into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, sets out on a quest to bring some good luck home for her best friend. But with humans not allowed, her only chance is teaming up with the magical creatures who live there to do it. LUCK is produced by Skydance Animation.

Apple Original Films’ “Luck” features the voice talents of stars Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Noblezada, Simon Pegg, Flula Borg, Colin O’Donoghue, John Ratzenberger and Adelynn Spoon. The animated feature is directed by Peggy Holmes from a screenplay by Kiel Murray, with John Lasseter, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and David Eisenmann producing for Skydance Animation.

Luck is streaming August 5, exclusively on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_Luck

Whoopi Goldberg in CLARA’S HEART Available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive

Whoopi Goldberg in CLARA’S HEART (1988) is available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Ordering information can be found HERE

David Hart (Neil Patrick Harris) is a preteen as disillusioned as a 40-year-old and as vulnerable as a 5-year-old. The death of his baby sister and his parents’ subsequent separation have left him despairing and lonely. But he’s about to discover all the love he needs in Clara’s Heart.

Whoopi Goldberg recaptures the triumph and joy of her award-winning portrayal of Celie in The Color Purple, starring as savvy Jamaican housekeeper Clara Mayfield. When Clara first enters the Harts’ luxurious suburban Baltimore home, David views her as an interloper and a threat. But Clara’s unshakable dignity and bounteous humor act like sunshine on the tight bud of David’s soul.

Steven Spielberg’s THE COLOR PURPLE Returns to Movie Theaters February 23rd – One Day Only

In honor of the film’s 35th anniversary, The Color Purple returns to movie theaters nationwide during Black History Month, its first nationwide release in more than three decades. Prior to and after the film, TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz will provide new commentary and insight into the making and legacy of this unforgettable movie.

The unforgettable characters of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel brighten the screen in this rhapsodically cinematic adaptation, directed by Steven Spielberg. At the center of the tale is Celie (Whoopi Goldberg, in her Oscar®-nominated movie debut), whose search for fulfillment in a world closed to her becomes a triumph of cruelty overcome by love, of pain eclipsed by joy. Acting and filmmaking honors all came to The Color Purple upon its initial release in 1985, with an outstanding supporting cast including Danny Glover, Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey. It is a timeless film that remains a powerful and unforgettable cinematic masterpiece.

Goldberg, Winfrey and Avery each were nominated for an Oscar, among the film’s 11 nominations, which also included Best Picture, Writing (Menno Meyjes, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) and Original Score. The Color Purplereceived NAACP Image Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress, and was named Best Film of 1985 by the National Board of Review. 

Presented by Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Warner Bros.

Sunday, February 23, 2020 – 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (local time)

Tickets for The Color Purple can be purchased at www.FathomEvents.com or participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 600 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Tika Sumpter, Whoopi Goldberg And Tiffany Haddish Star In Red-Band Trailer For Tyler Perry’s NOBODY’S FOOL

Trying to get back on her feet, wild child Tanya (Tiffany Haddish) looks to her buttoned-up, by the book sister Danica (Tika Sumpter) to help her get back on track. As these polar opposites collide — with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results — Tanya discovers that Danica’s picture-perfect life — including her mysterious boyfriend — may not be what it seems.

From Director Tyler Perry, watch the red-band trailer now for NOBODY’S

In 2016, Perry reprised the role of “Madea” in Lionsgate’s smash-hit BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN, which spent two weeks at number one on the US box office. The sequel to the film was released in October 2017 and took top spot at the box office on opening weekend. Perry has two more films with Lionsgate in 2018 – ACRIMONY starring Taraji P. Henson and A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL, which will bring his popular character back to the big screen. Perry also recently completed production on Adam McKay’s feature film, VICE, about Dick Cheney, in which he will play “Colin Powell.”

The cast includes Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Mehcad Brooks, Amber Riley and Whoopi Goldberg.

NOBODY’S FOOL is in theatres November 2, 2018.

(L-R) Tika Sumpter, Whoopi Goldberg and Tiffany Haddish in Nobody’s Fool from PARAMOUNT PICTURES, PARAMOUNT PLAYERS, TYLER PERRY STUDIOS and BET FILMS.

Check Out the New Trailer for Tyler Perry’s NOBODY’S FOOL starring Tiffany Haddish and Whoopi Goldberg

NOBODY’S FOOL is in theatres November 2, 2018

This new trailer look hysterical:

Trying to get back on her feet, wild child Tanya (Tiffany Haddish) looks to her buttoned-up, by the book sister Danica (Tika Sumpter) to help her get back on track. As these polar opposites collide — with hilarious and sometimes disastrous results — Tanya discovers that Danica’s picture-perfect life — including her mysterious boyfriend — may not be what it seems.

NOBODY’S FOOL is directed by Tyler Perry and stars Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Mehcad Brooks, Amber Riley and Whoopi Goldberg

 

FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE – Review

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So, in the mood for another feature-length doc on the “mouse house”? I’m referring to Mickey’s home base, the cartoon factory that is the Walt Disney Studios. It’s comprehensive archives have provided terrific stories in recent years, all informative and very entertaining. Let’s see, there’s WALT & EL GRUPO, about the WW II South American trip. And THE BOYS: THE SHERMAN BROTHERS’ STORY spotlighting that song-writing duo. Oh, and WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY, which focuses on the late 1980’s revitalization of the feature animation department, is a must see. Only a few weeks ago, audiences were moved by the story of the Suskind family in LIFE, ANIMATED. Now, here’s another terrific addition to that revered roster. The talented directing team of Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkley introduce us to a fascinating man well known to the world of cartooning, but now the general public will meet (and be charmed by) FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE. Now, there’s so much more to him than ‘toon ducks and doggies. His message can affect society and impact all of us. Really? Yes, if you are among the very (cue the Sinatra classic) “Young at Heart”…

Mr. Norman is one of the last artists who worked directly with Mr. Walt Disney. Actually he’s the very first African-American animator for the studio, though Floyd kind of dismisses this (“I was just happy to be working and drawing”). But then, growing up in sunny California, he never encountered the racism that infested much of the US (a family trip to the South was quite eye-opening to the young lad). His first art gig was during high school when Floyd was an assistant on the “Katy Keene” comic book, a funny teen queen who modeled dresses designed by her readers, rewarded with a printed credit (“Evening gown by Donna Sue Johnson, Benton Illinois”). After getting a tip, he applied to Disney and slowly made his way up the ranks with the classic SLEEPING BEAUTY, his first feature. After JUNGLE BOOK (Walt’s final “hands on” film), Floyd joined forces with another artist to form Vignette Films, a company that specialized in making educational films about the African-American experience, filling a big void in schools at the time. After buying an old 16mm camera from Walt’s brother Roy, Floyd was the only man who shot footage of the civil rights riots in Watts (the networks scooped it up). Later he would work on the opening titles for TV’s “Soul Train” and would bring Fat Albert and his pals to animation (others would produce the weekly show). Then it was back to Disney until a falling out over ROBIN HOOD (“A good film to be fired from”), Floyd took his skills to a true cartoon factory, Hanna Barbera, who filled lots of Saturday morning hours for the big three networks (“You name it, Superfriends, Captain Caveman, I toiled on that…”). Then it was back to Disney, eventually going to Pixar for MONSTERS, INC. and TOY STORY 2. Great times until… 

Floyd did the unthinkable (at least to the HR folks)…he turned 65! Forced retirement! His ID card… voided! He couldn’t understand it. After stewing a few weeks, Floyd concocted a plan. His wife still worked at Disney’s publishing division. He’d drive her to work, but instead of dropping her off , Floyd would park and stay. He’s find an empty office or cubicle (somebody’s always on vacation or sick) and get to work doing commissioned sketches of characters he’s animated (Paul Dini beams over the Shere Khan). Or he’d stroll about and visit other artists. often helping them with ideas (a practice known there as “Floyd-ering”). And that’s the message I mentioned earlier. Floyd wants to prove that age is merely a number. His imagination and artistic contributions didn’t just stop at 65. With his energy and curiosity (particularly about new tech), Floyd seems half his age, a “rabble-rouser” (he does scathing gag cartoons about his corporate bosses), who truly earns the title awarded him in 2007, “Disney legend”.

Fiore and Sharkley do a commendable job of keeping up with their trouble-making subject. To their great credit, it’s not merely a “talking heads” job. Although there are remarkable insights from writers and artists and even Oscar-winner fan Whoopi Goldberg. The directors have wisely enlisted several talented animators to illustrate Floyd’s story with simple black and white classic line animation. In them Walt is a hawk-nosed demon with glaring eyes, a frizzed mop of hair, and a cigarette dangling from tightly-clenched frown. Now this not to say that Floyd and his co-workers didn’t adore “Uncle Walt”, though they tried not to be in his eye line during story critiques. They lived to hear those three little words, “Well, that’ll work” (the highest praise) and openly wept at news of his shocking death in 1967. But there’s more than studios stories and retirement battles. We see the full life of this man, the personal along with professional. We meet his first wife along with their grown children and hear of Floyd’s regret at being unable to save the union. And then we meet his second wife, a woman who helped recharge Floyd’s creative batteries and bring him into the new century (“Lose the hair dye along with the suit and tie”). It’s a tale of tragedy and triumph. The story of one man bucking the system. Did he see succeed? Well, you’ll need to see FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE, a film not only for cartoon fanatics, it’s a soul-stirring, inspiring tale for the artist in all of us.

4.5 Out of 5

FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE is playing at selected theatres across the country and is available via several video streaming platforms

floydnormanposter

STAR TREK TNG on the big screen

This past Thursday, November 29, the folks at Paramount/CBS Video and Fathom Entertainment treated film goers with a unique viewing experience. To celebrate the release of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (ST:TNG) on Blu-ray, fans were able to view two digitally restored episodes on the big screen in select theatres across the country. I was fortunate to attend this event. It was the first time I had seen these shows in nearly 25 years, although the series has been a fixture in syndication and on cable channels (BBC America, G4). It was quite an evening of nostalgia and an appreciation of the tech wizards that have logged countless hours sprucing up these shows for HD. The Enterprise-D group looks better than ever.

Here’s a brief bit of Trek history. ST:TNG premiered in first run syndication in September of 1987. Despite some uneven episodes in that first season, it was a ratings smash. Most fans believe that the show really hit its stride and began to emerge from the shadow of the original 60’s series in its second season. There were a couple of cast additions when it returned in the Fall of 1988. For many fans this was the year of the doctor switch. Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher was replaced in sick bay by original Trek series guest star Diana Muldar as Dr. Kathryn Pulaski (Crusher’s son Wesley remained on board and his Mom returned for season 3).A crew relaxation area (kind like the “Cheers” bar) known as Ten-Forward was introduced along with its mysterious alien manager/mixologist Guinan played by future Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg (a reoccurring character). Also, Chief Engineer Miles O’Brien, played by the wonderful Colm Meaney, was featured more prominently.

When I entered the theatre auditorium a pre-screening slide show had already begun. Most slides were frame blow-ups from episodes along with an occasional split-screen still with the original broadcast image on the right compared to the restored version on the left. Prior to the first of the evening’s episodes we were given a taste of one of the Blu-ray’s many bonus features. This was a “behind the scenes” look and remembrance of the second season beginning with a wrap party report from Entertainment Tonight. Clips, production sketches and photos, and new interviews with cast and crew comprised this segment.

After that trip down memory lane, the episode “Q Who” began. This adventure has a warm spot for Trek fans because it introduced perhaps the greatest menace to the Federation of Planets, those black-clad drones the Borg. When the all-powerful space scamp Q (John DeLancie) is rebuffed by the Enterprise crew after offering his services as a Starfleet officer, he hurls the ship several light years in the blink of an eye, into the path of a deadly Borg vessel. Later the Borg would be the menace in the first full Next Gen feature film STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT, and would pop up in all the ensuing Trek TV series (Star Trek:Voyager would have a reformed Borg, Seven of Nine, as a member of the crew). The new enhanced sound enveloped the theatre while the crisp, clean visuals and digitally enhance effects added considerably to one of the season’s most exciting adventures.

Following this nail-biter, some selected bloopers puts us all in a relaxed mood. Then we got to enjoy a few moments from another bonus feature. It was a roundtable reunion with all the original cast members that was recorded earlier this year, backstage at the Calgary Trek convention. Everyone was in high spirits,delighted to see each other once more. They joked and teased each other while telling great on-set stories and unusual encounters with fans. Seems like they had a blast zipping through space those 7 years!

And then it was time for the final episode, “The Measure of a Man”. This was truly unique as this was 12 minutes longer than the episode that’s been seen all these years (this might be called a director’s cut). It’s also a more cerebral show than “Q Who”. The Federation wants to re-assign the android Commander Data to a scientist that wishes to dissect him in order to build duplicates. Captain Picard objects, fearing that this could change (even lobotomize) Data (he’s not enthused about the idea either). A makeshift courtroom is set up on the space station to decide whether Data is Starfleet property (a “toaster’) or a sentient being who can choose his own fate. Like some of the best of the original series, this story tackles a serious message in a futuristic setting. And it’s very entertaining. As one fan magazine described it, ” A FEW GOOD MEN and a helluva’ android”. Not many flashy space scenes in this one, but sound and picture quality are equally impressive. The years have no dulled this story’s impact.

Reversing the format of moviegoing, we were treated to a preview for the finale! A look at the third season concluded the evening. Season three is legendary for having the greatest cliff-hanger season ended since JR Ewing was shot-“The Best of Both Worlds” with the Borg capturing and assimilating Picard (let’s hope that will have another special screening for this!).  A great topper for a special look back at a beloved show. If you’re searching for the perfect holiday gift for the Trek fan or sci-fi fan or just a fan of superb, thoughtful dramatic television, than the second season Blu-ray is the ultimate stocking stuffer (especially if the giftee has a sweet new home entertainment system)! They’re beaming down to retail outlets on Tuesday, December 4! As the Captain would say, “Make it so!”.

Review: FOR COLORED GIRLS

Taking a successful  play from the stage to the movies can be  very tricky. For every AMADEUS and A FEW GOOD MEN there’s a AGNES OF GOD or NIGHT, MOTHER that just doesn’t connect. Tyler Perry has a good track record in putting his own stage productions on film. Now he tries to adapt another author’s work with FOR COLORED GIRLS based on the 1976 Tony Nominated “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange. The results make for an uneven film.

The main setting for the film is a fifth floor walk up apartment building in NYC where most of the characters reside. Gilda(Physhia Rashad) is the tenant representative who watches over her neighbors and tries to keep the halls tidy. Crystal(Kimberly Elise) is a working mother of two toddlers living with her boyfriend Beau Willie(Michael Ealy)who has come back from combat disturbed and bitter. When  abuse is suspected they are visited by a child protective services worker Kelly(Kerry Washington) who is a married to a police detective Donald(Hill Harper).  Crystal works downtown for a demanding fashion magazine editor,Jo(Janet Jackson) who is dealing with an unfaithful husband, Carl(Omari Hardwick). Sixteen year old Nyla(Tessa Thompson) is taking dance lessons from Yasmine(Anika Noni Rose), who is just starting a relationship with Bill(Khalil Kain). Nyla shares an apartment in the walk up with her mother Alice(Whoopi Goldberg) who spends almost all her time zealously working for her church. Down the hall is Alice’s other daughter Tangie(Thandie Newton), a wildly promiscuous bartender. On another floor lives Juanita(Loretta Devine) a nurse who divides her free time between working for a woman’s support group and contending with her undependable boyfriend Frank(Richard Lawson). The worlds of these woman collide in unexpected ways during the course of the film.

Unfortunately the stage roots of this film come through and disrupt the flow of the story. The play’s poems become monologues that the different characters launch into at regular intervals during the course of the action.The other actors in the scene can only stare at the speaker  while the camera slowly zooms in as they tell their tale. Even a sleazy back alley abortionist(played by Macy Gray) gets her own soliloquy. At one point two characters deliver their speeches at the same time like “dueling monologues”.While this works with a single actor on a bare stage, on film it seems very artificial and theatrical. Also Perry’s decision to carry over the play’s decision to have most of the main characters clothed in one color (Alice is always in white, Jo in red, etc.) becomes very distracting as does his choice to go from foreground focus to background focus several times during scenes. I was very surprised at how all the main male characters save one were  miserable abusive wretches who make the the women endure more horror and tragedy than a a year’s worth of Lifetime TV movies. Many modern thrillers have earned the tag of “torture porn” for their excesses. This movie could be an example of “misery porn” as it showcases one heartbreaking incident after another. I will say that the ladies give their all in their performances. The ending is meant to be uplifting, as in the old song ” Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves”, but by that time the viewer is just drained and exhausted. At least we can be grateful that Perry decided not to insert his Madea caricature into the movie in order to lighten things up.

Overall Rating: Two and a Half Out of Five Stars