Diary of a Mad Black Woman

Review by Jason Donner

Diary of a Mad Black Woman might have been a movie that would have been enjoyable had it not been for the pivotal man who brought it into existence into the first place. But Tyler Perry's insistence that he dress up in drag to play the part of Magda, a grandmother figure in this movie, and barge through scenes like a sumo crashing through a house of mirrors completely destroys any attempt this movie makes at being taken seriously.

Is it a comedy? Is it a drama? Is it a love story? Diary of a Mad Black Woman never seems to be able to make up its mind, nor does it ever seem to come up with a linear... or at least semi-solid story to lean up against. This movie is a mess... not a horrible mess, but a mess none the less. It's an effective drama joined at the hip with a slapstick lowbrow comedy and, when you look at the end result, it's all ugly.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman tells the sad tale of Helen McCarter (Kimberly Elise) who, despite being in a cold relationship with her husband is living in the high life in a nice home and plenty of money. At least, until her husband finds a new woman to share his bed with and ends up - quite literally - kicking her to the curb.

Now, at the ass-end of a one-sided prenuptial agreement, Helen finds herself homeless and penniless and ostracized. She returns home and begins a journey of self-discovery while putting her life back together and apparently learning not to hate men so much.

You know, I guess I only have a major problem with half this movie. All of the scenes with Helen and her husband, her new boyfriend, and then - in a pretty cool turn of events - back with her husband, are very well-written and powerful. Kimberly Elise does a fantastic job with this role and really makes Diary of a Mad Black Woman a lot better than it really deserves to be.

And then there's Tyler Perry who, with the force of an atomic bomb, destroys any scene he's in with his tired and boring and very pointless man-in-drag shtick. I'm serious, kids, any time Tyler Perry puts his womanly mug into a scene, the movie just falls apart as though his very performance is some kind of cinematic adhesive solvent.

You remember how I said Saw was almost destroyed by Cary Elwes horrible performance? Well, Diary of a Mad Black Woman is damaged even more by Tyler Perry who should just sit his butt down in front of a computer, write his pretty words, and leave female parts to the women.

Any scene that doesn't have Magda in it is pretty good, but I just can't witness this kind of egocentric and incompetent filmmaking and say that the movie is great.

Diary of a Mad Black Woman can't be taken seriously as a drama and, quite frankly, it's not funny enough to be a comedy. What is it? Sadly, it's a huge mess is what it is.

When Helen confronts her husband, it's a bold and disappointing testament to the power that this movie could have had, but doesn't. Let's just hope to God, we'll be treated to a Magda-less directors cut of the movie in the future.