I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF (2009)

Written & Directed by Tyler Perry



Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. September 13, 2009, 8:05PM


First, let me say I am very proud and very happy for the success of Tyler Perry. The writer, director and producer is a self-made man who has impressively achieved success on his own terms and without the interference of traditional Hollywood. He is also responsible for giving starring roles to many talented yet underused African-American actors as well as introducing new actors to audiences who might not have received the same opportunity through conventional, narrow-minded producers.

Now having said that, all I can say about Perry's latest film, "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" is that I really enjoyed the terrific performance by Taraji P. Henson, the musical numbers from Gladys Knight, Mary J. Blige and Pastor Winans, and Madea is always good for a few laughs. Oh, and Adam Rodriguez and his dazzling smile. But the rest of the film left me unimpressed and fatigued. To be honest, I have felt that way about most of Perry's films. I tend to find that his films don't offer much more than comedy skits or dramatic segments loosely tied together in order to create some sense of plot. This might be fine for a television sitcom but this does not really work for a feature film. Or at least my idea of a film. I would like to see Perry make more of an effort to try and create something as fresh and inspired as possible, not simply continue to travel down an overly familiar and obvious path.

We begin with Madea (Perry) sound asleep when she hears someone breaking in to her house. Bad move. Very bad move. She wakes her husband, Joe (also Perry) and they go downstairs to confront the thieves. The "thieves" turns out to be three young children, Jennifer (Hope Olaide Wilson) and her younger brothers. Madea wants to know why they are stealing but they aren't talking but Madea has a way of getting answers. She finds out that their grandmother who takes care of them has disappeared for four days and they were only stealing to get money to buy food.

Madea finds their only other relative, April (Henson) who is their aunt. She just got home from her job as a nightclub singer and she can't be bothered with them. All she wants to do is go back to sleep. Madea wants to be reimbursed for the VCR that Jennifer broke during the attempted robbery. April has no intention of paying even if she had some money but Madea agrees to have the kids work off their debt by cleaning her home.

April reluctantly lets the kids stay at her home until she can find her mother. April is certainly not maternal and has zero interest in taking care of some body's children even if they are relatives. She is much too busy drinking heavily and keeping company with a mean and repulsive married man, Randy (Brian J. White).

After April tries to go back to bed, Paster Brian (Marvin Winans) comes to the house. He tells her he has a young man who has just arrived from South America and needs a place to stay. He can do repairs around her house in exchange for a room. April agrees just to get him out and she can go back to sleep.

As soon as her head hits the pillow, there is another knock at the door. There stands the handy man, Manny (Adam Rodriguez) who also happens to be very easy on the eyes. She sets him up in the basement and now her house is full of uninvited guests. Manny bonds with the kids and becomes a kind of surrogate father to them. April also develops an attraction for Manny but fights to resist those feelings.

April soon learns that her mother has passed away and she is racked with guilt over not speaking to her mother in years because of a disagreement. Randy is of no comfort but Manny is there for her with open arms. April's life is a mess and cannot possibly raise children, so she decides to put her niece and nephews in foster care. The kids and Manny beg her not to do it but April is torn and she doesn't know what to do.

I'm not giving anything away by saying that this film ends with a happy conclusion since that was made very clear since the beginning of the film. There is no real suspense and the dramatic moments all feel very predictable. "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" might have been better played strictly for laughs.

I really wish I could offer more high praise for the work by Perry but I always find myself disappointed after every film I have seen. I certainly realize there is an audience and a definite need for his style of films but perhaps it is lost on me. I have heard that he is going to next tackle the 1976 play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf". I am slightly concerned what he will do with the material yet also hoping for the best.