Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)

Following in the footsteps of comics like Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence, Tyler Perry does the multi-character, cross-dressing routine in Diary of a Mad Black Woman, the film version of his successful play. But that's where the comparison ends. Perry's got a lot more on his mind than latex laughs, as the film delves into several incongruous genres: the touching romance, the vengeance film, even the religious allegory. Straight comedy might have been the ticket to a better box office, but that's not what the devout Perry is about, and anyway, the movie did well enough for its most memorable character to return in 2006's Madea's Family Reunion. Madea, one of three Perry roles, is clearly the film's comic centerpiece, a robust grandmother who drops one-liners and backs up her tough talk with action. Although she's the poster girl meant to win audiences, she's not the kind of caricature Lawrence or Murphy would have made her, and that's where Perry's intentions diverge toward something farther-reaching, even when it's out of his grasp. The dialogue can be hilarious, but Perry is saying pretty serious things about the complex and counterintuitive bonds of family. How else to explain a man who keeps giving his junkie wife second chances, and a wife who forgives the man who mercilessly booted her from his house, waving a prenuptial agreement as his justification for a callous divorce? Perry's Christian agenda is not as subdued as one would expect from a mainstream movie, but it's not wholly distracting, either. Diary of a Mad Black Woman is too ambitious and tonally schizophrenic for its own good, but it does demonstrate Perry's promise, both as an adaptable performer and an independent thinker. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide