Daddy's Little Girls

Idris Elba's Monty James is a hardworking, well-liked soul across town, known for his compassion to others and extreme dedication to his three daughters, who he is trying to provide with a better life since their mother (Tasha Smith) walked out. Yet it should come as no surprise that when she jumps back into the quiet family's life, everything takes a turn for the worse. She is now dating a deadbeat gangbanger and demands the custody of her children so they don't have to live with Monty, who is housing a dirty secret of his own.

Meanwhile, Monty becomes well-acquainted with Julia Rossmore (Gabrielle Union), a high-maintenance, somewhat demanding lawyer, who is taxied around by him as one of his two Joe-jobs. In order to keep his kids, he must arm himself with the best lawyer possible, and manages to get buddy-buddy with Maya so that he can have her defend him. All while simultaneously maintaining an honest relationship with the woman, and keeping a close eye on his girls, who are sent to live with their mother and her boyfriend after an incident at home.

Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls is by far the most accomplished flick I've seen by him, combining sentimentality and parental-commitment for a truly winning blend of a human story. In the three other Perry picture I've seen, he tends to often focus too much on petty conflicts, soap-opera characters, and thinly constructed drama that leaves nothing to be desired. He focuses on stereotypes and archetypes rather than recognizable humans. Here, however, he accomplishes almost everything he has neglected in his past films to make a watchable and thoroughly enjoyable drama.

Elba, who gets better and better with each performance, holds much of the weight of the film on his back and deserves much of the credit for its overall success. The film refrains from making him out to be a Godsend that should be treated with royalty, and also doesn't amplify the "tragic hero" ideas it conveys in the latter act. What we get is a character smart and competent enough to believe, but one that's also noticeably flawed and contemptible.

There's also a surprising freshness to the way Elba and Union carry out their relationship together in the film. It doesn't erect itself off of tired clichés and romantically uninteresting drivel, but rather illustrates a likable relationship between two people - hugely far off on the socioeconomic line - that do much more than meet-cute. Not to mention, if you were to take the romantic story out of the film, there would still be a wealth of events and situational drama to focus on. How many romantic comedies can you say that about? Daddy's Little Girls isn't urban cinema's finest, with other dramas like Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It and John Singleton's Baby Boy passing this one right by in terms of quality and story. Yet Perry pulls no punches and doesn't have any idiotic distractions in terms of characters, melodrama, or subplots. He's focused and gridlocked on Monty and his relationship with Julia and his three daughters, which is how the film should be. This is a simple story with emotions that are memorable and content that's surprisingly favorable and well-handled.

Starring: Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union. Directed by: Tyler Perry.

Tyler Perry's Medea-less tale of a father trying to raise his daughters but finding trouble from the girls mother who has taken up with a drug dealer.

Good little movie with a nice sense of place. Certainly moralistic and a tad simplistic (as all his stories are), but enjoyable none the less. Its a good film but has little that will make it stand out from the rest other than its good film. (I'm left to wonder if Perry's rather busy dance card will hurt his film out put since with a TV show and now several films a year I have to wonder if he will be able to craft films that stand out, or will they be like this good, but forgettable?) Worth watching- though odds are you'll forget you've ever seen it.

I saw this film recently at the Black Film Maker International Film Festival here in London.

Not at all like Perry's previous films which have both been premiered at the festival in the last few years. Instead of broad Christian Cross-Dressing Gun Totting Comedy, what we have here is a gentle romantic drama with a smattering of jokes here and there.

At got to say it wasn't to bad though I have to admit I preferred the Meadea films. The performances were OK especially the leading actors Union & Elba. The story is a bit hackneyed but I guess that's the cynic in me. You kind of knew exactly how the film was going to end from the open credits. The audience I saw it with loved it.

That got me thinking why can't you see Perry's work in the UK other than at the BFM Film Festival. Why not release the films on DVD, any visit to Dalston/Brixton/Harlesden in London will tell you that's there's a great illicit trade in Perry's films.

Anyway, if you like a undemanding and somewhat unoriginal romantic drama this is just the thing for you.

Black Narcissus

My wife and I went to check out "Daddy's Little Girls" not knowing what to expect, seeing that this Tyler Perry production did not have his outrageous Madea character in it. We came away pleasantly surprised with what we saw.

The problem that some moviegoers have with this film is quite simple: they're trying to be movie critics. They look for "movie elements" and generally are disappointed, not realizing that over 99% of people who buy tickets to a movie are not there to critique it in a cinematic context, but more in a entertainment context. You go to a horror movie to be scared to wit's end, not to break down and find the climax, anticlimax, and plot twists. You're there for gore, blood, and screams. With pretty much any Tyler Perry movie, a huge majority of those who watch them are there to either be inspired, to gain insight and maybe a lesson or two on life, or to see what Madea will say next. And if you have that mindset when you enter the theater to see this film, you will probably not come out disappointed.

The trailer showed this film more in a comedic light, but it is by far a drama with interspersed moments of humor. While some of the characters may at first come off as so outrageous as to be comical, they still had some semblance of believability to them. And for a 95-minute film, there's no way to completely dissect every character and why they are the way they are. And again, many non-movie critics understand this.

Idris Elba does a great job stepping away from his more well-known Stringer Bell persona. Though his accent (while not indicative of his British roots is still Stringer-sounding) wouldn't indicate that his character is from Atlanta (where the movie is set), his character is still engrossing. Gabrielle Union does a notable job as the female lead, and Lou Gossett, Jr.'s brief appearances give the movie more context and a slight bit more depth.

If you are a fan of Tyler Perry's plays, you will recognize his approach and the technique to this movie, and though it does not have the cantankerous Madea giving us lessons on life, it still will probably leave a mark on the moviegoer if (s)he goes into the theater to be inspired.

Unlike one of the other comments I read about Tyler Perry's latest film, I thought this was well done. The violence in this movie is what real life is like. And though, it is not suitable for young children or "our boys and girls", there is a reason it is rated PG-13. This isn't a feel-good family and children's movie. Kids 13 and older have most likely seen equal to or more severe fighting walking through the halls of their schools (as have I). And lets be real here - your typical 14 year old freshman in high school kid is not gonna spend $6.75 on a movie called "Daddy's Little Girls", am I right? I couldn't agree more that violence is not the answer - there's no doubt about that. But Tyler Perry's movie's are known for real life day-to-day struggles and how to overcome hard times. And if I found out that a drug dealer was beating my 5 year old daughter and leaving dark bruises on her tiny back, I would feel like doing the exact same thing. I'm so tired of cheesy unrealistic movies with dull humor. Thank you Tyler Perry for these films. You are a genius!