Why Did I Get Married?

You have to credit Mr. Perry for presenting to us what we so rarely get to see in American film; upper-class, professional African-American couples working through real-life relationship problems. Unfortunately, it's execution leaves a lot to be desired. Though Jill Scott turns in a spectacular performance, and Malik Joba and Tasha Smith are solid, the performances are uneven at best. It's a classic morality tale with more melodrama to fill an afternoon's worth of soap operas. Some of the characters are far too one-dimensional to be credible, including the absurdly sadistic Mike, and the nearly as absurd (and conveniently single) knight in shining armor, Sheriff Troy. There's something oddly antiseptic about the film. Even the arguments seem neat and clean, with well-defined in and out points. Sometimes it is shot like a film, sometimes (with awkward stage-like blocking), it is shot like a play being filmed in a theater proscenium. The screenplay (and direction) has some gaps of logic, but even more egregious is its exposition, which could be held up as a lesson to any aspiring screenwriter on how NOT to write it (eg, "Did you ever think we'd all turn out like this? Diane's a lawyer, I'm a doctor, you're a real estate mogul"). Unfortunately, this type of sloppy exposition abounds throughout. Realism and subtly take a vacation on this one, however, it's still a pleasant, if overly-simplistic, morality tale that's likable enough.

I just caught this film it is about relationships, marriage and the concept of expecting perfection vs. the reality of every day life weighing in on relationships. I laughed often and cried several times as well.

On the whole this was white cinema done with black faces but such a trend is long over due (if I have to watch one more trailer about how hard life in the hood without anyone fixxing their situation or the benefits to selling drugs and pimping I may go on a shooting spree). However, don't let this fool you-the writing was top rate and while some dialogue rehash there was a lot of very original dialogue as well. My only real complaint of the film was its sterility in many shots a lack of warmth within some home settings and among the performers as a whole.

There seemed to be little genuine commaraderie between the actors particularly in the earlier scenes. They were supposed to be friends since college but they were stiff in their reuniting with each other.

Also there is the scene were the overweight wife is forced to drive to the reunion by herself and all the women are worried for her safety yet when she enters the cabin the next day no one runs over to greet her they wait for her to come to them. Despite some of these often repeated mistakes (not just here but in other movies) this movie was very very good. I enjoyed it almost as much as The Four Seasons but unlike the Four Seasons this film follows all the characters all the way through the film- a nice touch in giving overall closure. Janet Jackson was my least favorite; portraying the celebrated novelist who lost a child but the the other performances were powerful enough to over shadowed her lack of depth. This was the first Tyler Perry film I have seen and I must say his 2 weeks at top box office is well justified here.

Before seeing this film or any other Tyler Perry production I, like many of you, had my doubts. But there is something quite engaging when watching this film. The thing I ask you to remember when watching this film is seeing what was produced with the resources at hand. Of course there are flaws and the emotions seem slightly pushed at times, but it was a good story full of love, understanding, fun, and laughter. Tasha Smith did an excellent in her role as did Tyler, Sharon Leal, and Jill Scott. You fall in love with these guys, all of them, and whats going on in there lives very quickly. I will admit that the cast of characters would be better suited for a television sitcom. But, with the amount of main characters in this film, i still say a job well done. I am most eager to see how their stories develop in the next movie and i also think that it would also be a wonderful idea to consider a television show going back to when they all first met and started dating and for it to be on a network like HBO or showtime, but that might be dreaming too high. Anyway, this was a successful film am I am excited to see the next film and some of the films Perry has put out that I've missed. Just check it out with an open mind.

I liked the movie for its entertainment value. I am a fan of Tyler Perry's plays. The film is not Oscar worthy but it has good comedy and a message. This is Tyler Perry's style and many people have come to love his plays and films. The acting was mediocre. I wasn't completely drawn into the characters and their dilemmas. The cinematography was low budget. Having said that, the IMDb 3 rating is way too low for this film. In general, I rate Tyler Perry's films between 5 to 6 stars. To me this rating means a film worth renting but not worth spending the money to see it in the movies. I would purchase it on DVD if available for half the price of a new release.

This review is targeted for people who are not familiar with Tyler Perry's work. As for his fans, I already know you are going to see this movie.

Like other reviewers of this movie, I can't believe the low ratings that some people gave it. I rented this movie as a lark. Other than hearing his name, I was not really familiar with Tyler Perry nor had seen any of his other productions. My Hubby (of 30+ years) is out-of-town, and because we have only sons, I get out-voted a lot and thus don't get to see many "chick flicks." I discovered that this film is neither a "chick flick" nor a "black flick." It is a comedy-drama HUMAN interest film about four married couples who vacation together once a year to reaffirm their marriages. The situations that these couples face are those that anyone who's been married any length of time might relate to. I loved it! It made me laugh and cry and think. What more can you ask of a film?! It was beautifully filmed and the acting was top-notch. Sure there were a few weak spots here and there, but all-in-all, well-crafted.