Lurid drama about an apparently longsuffering wife (Ajiona
Alexus in youth, Taraji P. Henson in maturity) whose ne'er-do-well inventor
husband (first Antonio Madison, later Lyriq Bent) runs through the sizable
inheritance she received from her mother, then endangers the family home she
was also allotted in Mom's will. But the end of her patience and a change in
his fortunes coincide in a way that unleashes her usually suppressed yet
extreme mean streak, sending her on a vengeful rampage. Writer-director Tyler
Perry pulls out all the stops in an initially wild, ultimately over-the-top
tale that plays on the divide between perception and reality but emphasizes
passion-driven spectacle over insight or believability. The treatment of
sexuality is as unbridled as all the other aspects of his film.
Watch out for: Scenes of
gory violence, strong sexual content, including brief graphic nonmarital
activity and rear nudity, a divorce theme, frequent mild oaths, numerous rough
terms and pervasive crude and crass language.
Rated: L, limited adult
audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling;
MPAA: R
© Arlington Catholic Herald 2018