It was never going to be easy for Tyler Perry. After all, he was tackling a beloved piece of '70s social consciousness, the first in what would eventually be a long line of feminist manifestos of color. As a critical lightning rod, already prone to being dismissed outright by the majority demographic he regularly eschews, he clearly understands having an aesthetic target on his back. But by taking on Ntozake Shange's "choreopoem" For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf, Perry seems to have set himself up for failure. Fans of his disjointed drag comedies will wonder why everyone is so somber. Lovers of Shange's proto-slam poetry will definitely balk at the soap opera sheen the writer/director has given the work.
This doesn't mean that For Colored Girls is a failure, just a schizophrenic and often unintentionally harsh experience. Just as we are settling into the Women of Brewster Place like set-up -- Perry takes the nameless women of the production and turns them into recognizable black archetypes -- characters break into lyrical monologues lifted directly from the original piece. Just as abruptly, we are then tossed back into a standard Perry storyline where men are cruel and abusive dogs, all ladies carry the burden of the world on their strong, sentient shoulders, and there's nary a gray area to be seen.
The main storyline revolves around two sisters -- careless whore Tangie (Thandie Newton) and teenage dance prodigy Nyla (Tessa Thompson). Their mother (Whoopi Goldberg) is a religious nut, and their apartment manager (Phylicia Rashad) is a well-intentioned meddler. Also in their building is Crystal (Kimberly Elise), the assistant to high profile magazine editor Jo (Janet Jackson) and subject of frequent beatings by her Iraq war vet boyfriend (Michael Ealy). Along the way, we meet Nyla's good hearted teacher Yasmine (Anika Noni Rose), an organizer for an AIDS clinic (Loretta Devine), and a social worker (Kerry Washington) hoping to help Crystal and her two kids. Naturally, nothing in their lives is simple or certain, leading to various trials and tragedies that test their very make-up.
In essence, Perry's interpretation of Shange's work is a musical without songs. It's a bold cinematic experiment which asks the already primed and pro-Madea crowds to accept something a little different from their earnest urban phenom. It's still recognizable as part of his vision -- Perry never met a plot point he couldn't over-manufacture and over-manipulate to maximum effect -- but in a surreal, irregular way. Clearly, studio suits felt that Shange's words required an identifiable cinematic structure to work within (even if a previous TV production from the '80s argues otherwise). By turning things over to Perry, they guaranteed several things -- a high profile, a simplification of the source, and a built-in fanbase ready to fawn over it all.
This doesn't diminish For Colored Girls' power, however. This is a fine drama destined to be misunderstood and mocked. Granted, the transitions into verse do come across as awkward and odd, but that's because we still haven't rediscovered our once powerful suspension of disbelief. By giving the characters these unusual exterior/interior interludes, by not watering down Shange's words, Perry allows us a window into a world few can contemplate. Even better, these moments make up for the obvious pandering in the otherwise ordinary dialogue, the grunts and groans meant to signify real people discussing their very real issues.
It's not a perfect film, but then again, it never really could be. For Colored Girls was never intended to be one, in all honesty. What Tyler Perry does here is daring, provocative, and a little arrogant. Some in the audience will "get it" and that's all that matters.
This doesn't mean that For Colored Girls is a failure, just a schizophrenic and often unintentionally harsh experience. Just as we are settling into the Women of Brewster Place like set-up -- Perry takes the nameless women of the production and turns them into recognizable black archetypes -- characters break into lyrical monologues lifted directly from the original piece. Just as abruptly, we are then tossed back into a standard Perry storyline where men are cruel and abusive dogs, all ladies carry the burden of the world on their strong, sentient shoulders, and there's nary a gray area to be seen.
The main storyline revolves around two sisters -- careless whore Tangie (Thandie Newton) and teenage dance prodigy Nyla (Tessa Thompson). Their mother (Whoopi Goldberg) is a religious nut, and their apartment manager (Phylicia Rashad) is a well-intentioned meddler. Also in their building is Crystal (Kimberly Elise), the assistant to high profile magazine editor Jo (Janet Jackson) and subject of frequent beatings by her Iraq war vet boyfriend (Michael Ealy). Along the way, we meet Nyla's good hearted teacher Yasmine (Anika Noni Rose), an organizer for an AIDS clinic (Loretta Devine), and a social worker (Kerry Washington) hoping to help Crystal and her two kids. Naturally, nothing in their lives is simple or certain, leading to various trials and tragedies that test their very make-up.
In essence, Perry's interpretation of Shange's work is a musical without songs. It's a bold cinematic experiment which asks the already primed and pro-Madea crowds to accept something a little different from their earnest urban phenom. It's still recognizable as part of his vision -- Perry never met a plot point he couldn't over-manufacture and over-manipulate to maximum effect -- but in a surreal, irregular way. Clearly, studio suits felt that Shange's words required an identifiable cinematic structure to work within (even if a previous TV production from the '80s argues otherwise). By turning things over to Perry, they guaranteed several things -- a high profile, a simplification of the source, and a built-in fanbase ready to fawn over it all.
This doesn't diminish For Colored Girls' power, however. This is a fine drama destined to be misunderstood and mocked. Granted, the transitions into verse do come across as awkward and odd, but that's because we still haven't rediscovered our once powerful suspension of disbelief. By giving the characters these unusual exterior/interior interludes, by not watering down Shange's words, Perry allows us a window into a world few can contemplate. Even better, these moments make up for the obvious pandering in the otherwise ordinary dialogue, the grunts and groans meant to signify real people discussing their very real issues.
It's not a perfect film, but then again, it never really could be. For Colored Girls was never intended to be one, in all honesty. What Tyler Perry does here is daring, provocative, and a little arrogant. Some in the audience will "get it" and that's all that matters.
