Movie Review Love Beats Rhymes

Love Beats Rhymes (2017) 

Directed by Rza 

Written by Nicole Jeffeson-Asher 

Starring A'zealia Banks, John David Washington, Jill Scott, Lucien Laviscount 

Release Date December 1st, 2017 

Love Beats Rhymes is the kind of movie that just doesn’t get made enough. This is a sweet, sensitive, and smart movie about a young, ambitious black woman who decides that she can have all that she wants, school, career, a good man, and that all it takes is a little hard work and desire. I wish more movies had the courage to tell young women that you don’t have to compromise all the time and that you can demand all that you want and work toward getting it.

Love Beats Rhymes stars Azealia Banks as Coco, a rapper with a crew that performs at rap battles in New York City. You might immediately put her in a box as if you already know who she is but you would be wrong. Coco isn’t just a talented rapper. She’s also a college student several credits away from graduating with a degree in accounting, all while she pursues a record deal. Most movies force drama by making characters choose one or the other. It’s refreshing to see a movie character, especially a young black woman, a far too rare lead character, allowed to be so ambitious.

As I said, Coco only needs a few more credits for her degree and when a friend tells her that Poetry 101 is an easy grade, she jumps at the chance, assuming that, as a hip hop artist, poetry will be a breeze. Coco finds herself challenged immediately by her professor, Nefari Dixon (Jill Scott), who has a low opinion of hip hop, especially in relation to poetry, which she puts on a high pedestal. Coco also clashes with Professor Dixon’s teaching assistant, Derek (Lucien Laviscount), who shares the Professor’s disdain for hip hop.

Naturally, Coco and Derek’s antagonism is cover for their mutual attraction and soon enough, nasty words give way to loving coos and their relationship comes under the scrutiny of the jealous professor, jealous of someone taking her handsome TA and of the talent of Coco who, when she finally discovers real poetry, takes to it with talent and passion. The love triangle aspect of Love Beats Rhymes is a rather forced cliché intended to inject drama late in the third act, in a very Robert McKee fashion, but the rest of Love Beats Rhymes is so winning I can forgive a few overly familiar moments.

Find my full length review in the Geeks Community on Vocal 

Movie Review: Why Did I Get Married Too

Why Did I Get Married Too (2010) 

Directed by Tyler Perry 

Written by Tyler Perry 

Starring Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Sharon Leal, Tyler Perry, Jill Scott 

Release Date April 2nd, 2010 

I was very surprised when I saw Tyler Perry's “Why Did I Get Married?” It was nothing like Perry's overwrought Madea comedies with their wild shifts of plot and Perry's disturbing drag character. Married was warm and erudite with a simple set up, characters that connected in real ways and a real honesty to the way each marriage and friendship was portrayed. Returning to these terrific characters Perry finds new truths and insights but unfortunately succumbs to some of his worst crowd pleasing instincts.

“Why Did I Get Married Too?” reintroduces us to 4 couples who get together every year to renew their friendships, get away from their kids and remind themselves why they got married. There is Patricia (Janet Jackson) and Gavin (Malik Yoba), the unofficial ringleaders because, it's assumed, they have the best marriage.

There is Terry (Tyler Perry, minus the dress and wig) and Diane (Sharon Leal) seemingly passed their issues with raising kids. Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) still dealing with their infidelity and trust issues and even Marcus getting a job hasn't eased their tensions.

Finally there is the continuing drama of Sheila and her new husband Troy (Lamman Tucker). They met when the couples were in Colorado last get together and have married and moved to Atlanta. Unfortunately, Troy is having a hard time finding a job, adding a bit of stress to paying for the yearly jaunt with friends, this time in the Bahamas.

Making matters worse for Sheila and Troy is the unexpected arrival of her ex Mike (Richard T. Jones) who finds out about Troy's troubles and makes things worse by needling him about it. Mike also claims to still be harboring feelings for Sheila and longs to get her alone for a moment. When he does get Sheila alone? Wow, a big scene for Jill Scott that may leave some dabbing away tears.

The trip to the Bahamas encompasses about the first hour or so of “Why Did I Get Married Too?” and does well to remind us of these characters we care about while setting the stakes for new discoveries about each of them and the new conflicts that will drive the plot.

Sadly, once the story returns to the mainland in Atlanta things go from warm yet tense to overwrought and soapy. Tyler Perry's Madea movies have always been about delivering obvious social commentary wrapped in wild, over the top comedy. He eluded those instincts in the first film allowing the film to flow naturally even through scenes that audiences were not going to be comfortable with, including scenes of extended dialogue uninterrupted by forced humor or Madea schtick. Given Perry's history these scenes were downright daring.

The second half of “Why Did I Get Married Too?” doesn't make us suffer Madea eruptions but it does indulge Perry's taste for forced dramatics, forced humor and generally overdone theatrics that take the place of the drama the screenplay fails to create. Credit this exemplary cast for managing to keep us involved even as they are forced to overplay scene after scene.

“Why Did I Get Married Too?” fails to capture the heart, humor and smarts of “Why Did I Get Married?” Writer and director Tyler Perry cannot resist the pull of simple minded over-dramatics that easily manipulate an audience toward the wanted to response. It's the same forced crowd pleasing style that has wounded each of his Madea movies. With each forced moment the promise Perry showed with the original Married slips away.

What a shame, “Why Did Get Married?” seemed like a revelation and a promise. “Why Did I Get Married Too?” squanders that promise and reveals Perry as an artist driven by the fear of not pleasing his audience rather than serving what is best for his story and trusting that the audience will follow along.

Movie Review: Why Did I Get Married?

Why Did I Get Married? (2007)

Directed by Tyler Perry

Written by Tyler Perry

Starring Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, Jill Scott

Release Date October 12th, 2007

Published October 13th, 2007

Filmmaker Tyler Perry had a number of interesting ideas sprinkled within his over the top dramas Diary of A Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion. Those ideas unfortunately, were overshadowed by Perry's bizarre need to dress in drag and play the matronly Madea character. This larger than life character could be entertaining but he/she was also a hurricane that destroyed the reality surrounding her/him.

One moment would be deeply dramatic, the next minute Madea storms through and we are taken out of the moment. Perry smartly leaves Madea behind in Why Did I Get Married and his interesting ideas now have a functioning reality to work within. Smart, funny and with a great big heart, Why Did I Get Married is the most mature and professional work of Tyler Perry's career.

Four couples get together year after year for a joint vacation and therapy session. For one week these couples talk about everything in their relationships and ask the honest and forthright question, why did I get married? That is also the title of the book written by Patricia (Janet Jackson) who is happily married to Gavin (Malik Yoba) and acts as unofficial counselor of the group.

Joining Patricia and Gavin for the weekend are the seemingly stable Terry and Diane, the erratic and bickering Angela (Tasha Smith) and Marcus (Michael Jai White) and the completely failing Sheila (Jill Scott) and Mike (Richard T. Jones) who show up separately though Mike does not come alone. For one week in a Colorado cabin secrets will be revealed, fights will be had and each of the couples will face crises that threaten their stability.

Tyler Perry has one of the most loyal followings in all of film, almost a cult. I never understood before but after Why Did I Get Married, I'm beginning to understand. Perry makes movies that no one else is making. I'm not just talking about films aimed at African American audiences, though that's true. Rather, I'm talking about the stories he tells, the issues he confronts. Few filmmakers have the patience or interest in these subjects.

Why Did I Get Married isn't just about marriage, fidelity, family or faith but it uses these characters, these couples to explore each of these issues with depth and understanding. Some points are simplified but the film rarely devolves to overarching melodrama. Perry's storytelling is calm and assured and never goes out it's way to be dramatic.

Perry's naturalism, the easy rapport he has with his actors, each contribute to the good natured, familiar vibe of Why Did I Get Married. This is a movie of great humor and great heart with characters you quickly come to care about. The material is naturally dramatic and Perry deftly handles the drama by establishing what is at stake in each of these relationships and resolving them in ways that are suitably dramatic but also realistic. 

Tyler Perry made a mistake in his first two films putting himself in drag as the character Madea and distracting from the many interesting and important themes he was tackling. The drag conceit was far too jokey and amateurish and, especially in the otherwise quite serious Diary of Mad Black Woman, made it impossible to take the films seriously despite their deeply meaningful intentions.

Abandoning the Madea character does wonders for Perry's dramatic intentions. Without the drag queen distraction, Perry is free to make strong points about love, marriage, family and faith in easier to swallow bites. Without Madea, Perry seems smarter and higher minded. We can now take seriously what was once seen as foolishness.

Few filmmakers deal with the issues that Perry brings to the fore and he is to be commended for that. More often filmmakers examine these issues sub textually, within genre conceits. Perry takes on marital and family issues head on and has some very interesting things to say.

It seems blasphemous to compare Tyler Perry to Woody Allen or Ingmar Bergman but in dealing so directly and honestly with relationship material, Perry is in their tradition. Less angsty and much more of a softy and a romantic, Perry bravely tackles the kind of issues that most filmmakers deal with indirectly or with snide humor.

Perry has a long way to go in terms of directorial craftsmanship. But, in terms of straight ahead honesty, he's well ahead of the game.