GOOD DEEDS (MOVIE REVIEW)

It’s nice to watch a good movie, predict the outcome and still be emotionally touched by the story. I’ll admit, I’m a weeper, I cry when faced with sentimental movie moments. Nicole Sparks’s novel adaptations just leave me in tears. Stories with the pain of abuse, the effects poverty on the life of a child, sibling rivalry that spins out of control, death and love lost, really do get me. But not all movies get to me.

When Tyler Perry’s début movies, came out, I would say I wasn’t a Madea fan.

I really started paying attention to Tyler Perry when I heard he was one of the top movie earners in Hollywood. I wondered “what was it about his black movies that got everyone so psyched?” When I watched ‘Why did I get Married?’ Part one and two, I sympathized with the characters. In ‘I Can Do Bad All By Myself’, beyond loving the fact that one of my all time music divas (Mary J Blige) did her thing in the movie, I found myself drawn to the storyline. When I watched ‘A Family that Preys’, I fell in love with the fact that it wasn’t racially restrictive or centered around the black American community. I would say it was more like the female version of ‘Bucket List’ (starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson).

Recently, I got to watch ‘Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds’ and not only did I love the movie, I guess I’ve become a fan of Tyler Perry Studio (TPS). ‘Good deeds’ was not only the portrayal of a man trying to find himself but also the pain faced by people not so privileged as we are. The dialogue felt fresh and original, no curse words of any kind. I also loved how bits of information were properly given off like Wesley Deeds’ (played by Tyler Perry) affinity for bikes and his being lactose intolerant as the reason why he didn’t know the cost of a gallon of milk. It had none of those clichéd romantic moments or climax. There was no running to catch up with the love of your life and no gasp-filled embarrassing moment; although the scene where Walter (played by Brian White) got sidelined from managing the company and scene where the brothers (Wesley and Walter) fight each other in front of company staff was pretty embarrassing (I just love that they had the sense to take it to the elevator out of everyone’s sight).

The twists were pleasant and might I say, effectively pulled off. The actors were great. You can’t have a cast with the likes of Tyler Perry himself, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Phylicia Rashad, Eddie Cibrian and Brian White and not expect a great performance.

Not to mention the use of timeless classics such as Tupac’s How do you want it? and Richard Marx’s Right here Waiting in the movie. Overall, I’d give this movie 41/2 star. It was a great movie and a must watch for anyone in need of fresh new movie.