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For Colored Girls Review
06 Dec 2010
Critics rating: 2 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Tom Charity , LOVEFiLM
For Colored Girls

First off, I'm not a coloured girl.

But then, nor is Tyler Perry, who adapted Ntozake Shange’s 1977 play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf”.

Cast details

Mr Perry is better known for putting on a dress as Madea in a series of plays and critically-mauled movies that have found considerable popularity among the African-American audience in the US (sorry – I’ve never seen any of them, mostly because they’re never screened to the press).

For Colored Girls represents a dramatic change of pace: from low farce to something highly stylized, a tragic-poetic theatrical idiom. It’s not entirely surprising the play – more of a verse performance piece – hasn’t made it to the movies before now, and Perry has taken it on himself to plot it out, add characters, dialogue, and melodramatics.

So: why now? The success of Precious has everything to do with it (and Mr Perry was an executive producer on that). Until people actually saw the movie, For Colored Girls was angling for Oscar attention. A 34% critical approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes has pretty much finished that fancy, though users of the same site are much more impressed (78% liked it).

For myself, I didn’t think it worked. But at least it’s an attempt to do something out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary – in its poetic language, and its intent focus on half a dozen black women – but also very much concerned with the ordinary; the ordinary trials of being a black woman in America (or anywhere else for that matter).

Janet Jackson

Unfortunately, while rape, incest, wife-beating, feckless husbands and abortion (etc) are all too common, the movie is structured so that this appears to be all there is. According to the actor’s legend tragedy is easy, comedy is hard. But For Colored Girls will convince you otherwise. The litany of calamities that hits these women is so unremitting you almost have to laugh… Not that the film has even a hint of a sense of humour.

Janet Jackson is laughably bad in an awful scene establishing her as a ferocious magazine editor.

Perry’s unsteady camera placement and clumsy editing certainly don’t help. The performances are a mixed bag. There’s excellent work here by Kimberly Elise, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad and Kerry Washington. But Whoopi Goldberg is pretty out there as religious maniac mom… Janet Jackson is laughably bad in an awful scene establishing her as a ferocious magazine editor (another of Perry’s inventions), but redeems herself in a powerful monologue later… Thandie Newton over-does it as a sexaholic with issues – but then so does the script, which never uses a trowel when a cement mixer is available.

For Colored Girls Reviews

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LOVEFiLM Review For Coloured Girls

  • 2 stars out of 5  

    By Tom Charity from LOVEFiLM

    Tyler Perry's latest film stars Janet Jackson, Kerry Washington, Anika Noni Rose and Thandie Newton.

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Most helpful review For Coloured Girls

  • For Colored Girls

    Rated - 4.5 stars  
    By Nan44 (2 reviews) from London UK , 20 Dec 2010

    [Highly rated reviewer]

    A truly harrowing but absorbing 2plus hour tale of the relationship lives of 9 African American women. The film is unremitting in showing the horrors that can occur in male-female relationships and although at times, it sailed close to the laughable it pulled back to pure hard hitting drama. Heavy-going, the storyline does not let up and by the end one is emotionally battered by the cruelty that goes on. However, it is rare to see a film so bleak that is also totally watchable and that engages the audience so much. Sharp editing and a superb cast, Thandi Newton is excellent as the woman who uses and disposes of men and provides the only lighter moments in the film; Janet Jackson in killer heels is convincing (although not featured as much in the film) as the magazine executive and Loretta Devine as the community group leader is naturally funny in whatever role she plays. The message in this film is a million miles away from the usual sugary coated Hollywood romance but raw, gritty truth that is the reality for many; albeit not usually covered in one 2hour helping!
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All reviews

(19)

  • Meh seen better

    Rated - 3.0 stars  
    By a customer , 23 Feb 2013

    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide

    It was ok, but I found it annoying. Everyone watched the kids dangling out of the window but no one tries to catch them! And the busy boddy had keys to the apartment. I also found it annoying when they started talking in poetry randomly. Thandi Newton and loretta divine were brilliant as can be expected. Janet jackson is super annoying as an actress!
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  • Black girls rock

    Rated - 4.5 stars  
    By a customer , 24 Nov 2012
    Time out and Love film reviews can kiss my a** 2/3 out of 5? Brilliant poetic acting, compartmentalised perfectly to bring all the stories together. It shows us as women, how to listen, learn, share, be more open, not be scared to show love or speak up. Thing is we know this of ourselves, we just need the same strength from our supporting men.

    The only crazy bit in the film is when the mother is cleaning up the side walk where the children (*), all of a sudden they are up in that poor woman's apartment?!?! And the she goes off and ?....other than that, I needed this film.
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  • Dramatic and Brilliant

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By a customer , 15 Sep 2012
    This film was brilliant. It is very dramatic but holds your attention right through till the end scene. Definitely worth a watch.
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  • coloured girls

    Rated - 4.0 stars  
    By a customer , 10 May 2012
    a very deep and powerful meaning with great passion fantastic actors would recommend 8 out of 10 may your heart and mind be open!!!! 8/10
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  • Very moving yet brilliant adaptation

    Rated - 5.0 stars  
    By a customer , 03 Apr 2012
    For me,Janet Jackson shines throughout the feature (as do all the others, but she particularly did it for me) Such a brilliant adaptation of Ntozake Shange's 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf' book/ poems. Tyler Perry -and the cast alike- were amazing and the whole feature was moving and brilliant to watch. There were points where I could feel my tears coming out, and then somehow feel inspired. Such a beautiful movie for the right audience
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