therealwardell Review of For Colored Girls

For Colored Girls (2010)

A Very Good Adaptation of Great Source Material!!! GO SEE IT!

[9/10 · 5 November 2010]

I was among the first of the regular people to view the film last night at a Midnight Screening. I'm an actor and very familiar with Shange's work, having seen it numerous times & its on my bookshelf. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, even more than I thought I would. (I am NOT a Tyler Perry Fan, although I have seen most of his melodramas)This film is clearly a departure from his usual style, and for the most part he gets it really right!! As had been stated by numerous critics, the film tends to slow down if not come to a totally stand still when the actresses began to deliver the poems juxtaposed with TP's own dialog. There is a lack of fluidity more so in the first half of the film than the second, but I was not in the least really bothered by it. All of the Women give Incredible Performances, save for Whoopi Goldberg, who is wonderful in the film BUT, I feel needed more takes than she was given to really dig deeper. I feel like she thought, I'm in a Tyler Perry movie, this ain't Steven Spielberg directing me. However, she is still enjoyable I mean her character is just OUT there. Kimberly Elise and Phylicia Rashad should both be on ALL of the Awards ballots this upcoming Season! Kimberly is absolutely FANTASTIC and Phylicia is nothing short of the actress she has always been....extraordinarily BRILLIANT! The scenes they share together, particularly the one towards the end of the film is Oscar Worthy in itself. Phylicia and Loretta handle Shange's language with such specific rhythm and cadence that you forget you're listening to a poem. I wish all could achieve this, however all of them handle the poetry effortlessly and beautifully. Janet is…..OK, but just OK. She is very limited in her acting range and it CLEARLY shows in a film with these other fine incredibly seasoned actresses. Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington also are just wonderful. Enough of me writing, JUST GO SEE THE FILM! Its really good, and great for a TP film. If that says anything.