Tyley Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor - My Review

Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor  -  2013  -  Directed by Tyler Perry

Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) is married to Brice (Lance Gross.) They have known each other since they were 6. They are in love and live together and are married, and quite happily. In comes Harley (Robbie Jones.) He is the stereotypical rich guy you see in films. Rich, handsome and basically a creep. Everyone sees it but Judith. 

One day on Harley's plane he comes on to Judith and tries kissing her and she says no. He tries again and she says no again and begins to try to fight him off which prompts him to say, "Now you can say you resisted." After the flight, Judith acts the way one would expect. She was in fact basically raped. She is disgusted with him and says she never wants to see him again. However, the next day she is right back with Harley.

This is the essential problem with Perry's new film. He wants to seem insightful but all he is really interested in is the surface. Her being raped is never brought up again. Judith succumbs to his "charms" while her mother begs her to see him for what he really his. This is a morality tale with all the subtlety of a hammer to the head. Judith starts doing drugs. Harley beats her physically and emotionally. Eventually comes the twist which I will not reveal but is quite evident about 30 minutes into the film.

Other cast members pop up but are just there for window dressing. Vanessa Williams is sadly underused and while critics bash Kim Kardashian she isn't bad, she just isn't given anything to do. She does have the film's best line though.

Perry is nothing if not a prolific writer. But being prolific does not make one a great writer. Here's hoping that eventually he gets better and gives this subject matter a film it deserves.

Rating: 3 out of 10