Diary of a Mad Black Woman (Directed by Darren Grant)

Ok, I must admit, Diary of a Mad Black Woman wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Although the film proved too long and predictable, this film has punchlines for even the toughest critics.

I was originally introduced to Tyler Perry through his plays that were sydicated on Bootleg DVDs. At the time I was really shocked by the caricatures of African Americans presented on stage. I think it was the role of Madea and Mr. Brown that struck a nerve in me. Personaly, I thought it was too over the top. For the film release, director Darren Grant made the wise decision of limiting Medea's screen presence. The character that is largely associated with the film appeared in less than 25% of the actual film. I believe this was intentional as the movie was set to reach a wider audience instead of the niche market the plays were made for. This proved to be a wise decision that saved the integrity of the film.

As mentioned earlier, this film was way too long. I believe this film could be cut in half and still retain the laughs and message.

The beginning of the film was surprisingly good. However, the film slowly crept down the drain until it reached the point of no return during the church scene at the end of the film. This scene has to be one of the cheesiest attempts to resolve several intertwining sub plots at one time. It was atrocious. This film relies heavily on the rhetoric of Traditional African American Culture. Outside of this following, this attempt of an ending is seemingly corny.

Ok, I must admit, this isn't my most thorough review. But this film, like so many mainstream "black films," was not made for serious critiques. This is a care free comedy that should be taken as just that.