Reviews

The actors in this movie are good, from the lead actress to the guy playing her ex husband, and even the young men in the movie who are minor characters. The thing that didn't allow me to like this movie more is the fact that given that premise of the movie is so uncomfortable, I feel like the writing or the script could have done more to make me as a viewer, fully understand why the characters behaved the way that they did. I understand that some movies suffer when there is over explaining and too much exposition going on, but to me this movie did not do enough explaining.

For example, the lead character is tormented by loneliness and what appears to be guilt from not being a present or good mother to her recently deceased son. The movie never really gives us much of a clue or real reason as to why she was never a present mother? What was it about being a parent that she could not handle that made her abandon her son?

She meets and becomes overly friendly with a young man with an ambiguous troubled background. This woman never once as a responsible adult takes it upon herself to contact social services or the boy's parents, and if this were real life it would just be a terrible safeguarding issue, particularly because the boy never says his age outright so he could have been anywhere from 17 to possibly 19; and if he was underage it makes the premise of the film even more jarring. It is implied that she knows that he is stealing from her and she seems okay with that for some reason? Perhaps we're supposed to the believe that desperate loneliness is why she keeps this young man around who clearly needs better guidance and care. Because key questions like these are never properly answered you never quite feel like (or at least I did not feel like) you have a clear understanding of what the characters motives are.

The two lead characters sleep together, and if that had been the main character's intent the entire time, to have a sexual relationship, then it does not make sense to me why she then later rejects his interest; after they sleep together. I did like how the film explored the complicated relationship between her and her ex, and how he only really seemed to want to be around her recently in order to grieve their son. The ex beats up the young man, which did not make much sense to me either because the ex is upset with her and the young boy is ultimately in a situation where he is dealing with consequences of her irresponsible actions. The young boy is not a completely innocent party, as mentioned before he is troubled, however he is taken advantage of. My main gripe with this movie is that I don't think it presented the audience with fully fleshed out characters. The young man is sort of reduced to an angry juvenile, even though the actor playing him does allow him to have some emotional depth, you're never really given a reason as to why he is so angry. The main character is an unlikeable protaganist, but to me she does not have to be likeable for it to have been a better movie, I just never got a full scope of why the character is the way that she is, what are the real underlying reasons as to why she does the things she does? So much of it is implied but not in away that makes enough sense to me.

I am a black queer woman viewer, so right off the bat I might have some bias due to being part of the target demographic, I appreviate some decent representation. But I am not going to rate a show high just because it has people I I have things in common with in it. I actually really enjoyed watching this show. I also just like a romance drama that shows the complexities of falling for the wrong the person, cos you can't always help who have feelings for. In this case you have two queer black women roomates in the begining stages of their professional careers, that always a relateable, grounding starting point. The male friend, develops feelings for a woman who is a lesbian, and he has to decide what to do with those feelings for a friend who he cares about. The biggest drama comes in because the woman who he has feelings for, is sleeping with and falling for his mother. Very complicated relationship dynamics going on here, but it has potential and its entertaining. You also have the storyline involving Amber's character and her mother, and how there is tension there. The disappointment comes where this is a good show that dies on the hill of potential. Its like because there are bureaucratic or financial matters going on behind the scenes ultimately the continuation of a good series is out of the viewers hands. And its a shame, because a second season could have meant larger sets, longer episodes and more subject matter to explore here, like why some women and men choose to stay in marriages that they are unhappy in, the premise is there, it just needed more time and money.

First of all Tyler Perry shows be weird, but I'm already invested. The way that some of these characters interact with each other feels so unrealistic, or confusing based on how their tone changes or relates the scenes that they are in. I'll give an example, the character Rayshawn is at first meant to come off as simply a young man in his early 20s who is a bit naiive yet eager. As you watch more scenes with him in them, it seems as though the writers decided to to turn that naiivite into showing him exuding behaviours that make it seem as though he is actually a child and not a grown adult, or perhaps he has some sort of developmental delay that they are alluding to but will not specify. And this isn't me trying to be harsh on the actor that played him, but I feel like there is a better way to express when an adult character has a level of innocence, or a lack of experience without it being so on the nose that the character simply resorts to having child like behaviours for an audience to poke fun at. And maybe this could also be me reading to much into it, but the trope of adult characters having actual developmental delays that is played off for laughs can be particularly insenitive to members of an audience who maybe themselves have developmental disabilities. (I myself am autistic, so maybe thats why I noticed it.) Just saying. Then there's Tommy, his character switches between being this very harsh firm tough guy henchman type and then being somewhat playful with Madame; his and her dynamic is strange enough on its own, but we as an audience aren't really made to understand why (besides his infatuation with her) he has his allegiance to her. Madame's father is a fomer gang leader, so was Tommy a part of her father's gang? Did she do him a massive favour now he is forever in debt to her or something? Is their relationship built on an unorthodox domination kink perhaps? I'm asking because its is never quite made clear to me from watching the show.

On top of that, what is Trouble's back story? I am all for some LGBT+ representation, in a way that challenges traditional expectations (as Madame says in the show herself, she represents a whole new kind of sexy) but this character has little to no real back story. We know she works out, has a muscular physique and she for some reason really wants to dance at Madame's strip club, but thats it. Does she come from money? Is she poor?

I did some internet searching for myself and from what I could find about the woman who plays Trouble, she is a personal trainer based in LA, which explains her body type. There's still not much of an explanation as to why she wants to be a dancer at the club so badly? Or why she insists on trying to earn the respect of the other dancers who clearly don't treat her that nicely. Her character is written to be annoying to the other characters on purpose so it works, but again, what is her backstory? Or the reasons for her motivations, aside from some lack luster, tick box representation.

Another character who's motivations I don't quite understand is Babyface. How did he go from being a relatively harmless pretty boy gigalo, to being somebody who is willing to pimp someone out for his own personal benefit. The switch between those two characterizations felt either unearned or out of nowhere, like there was no build up. Was that plotline placed in there just to cause extra conclflict? Cos if so it didn't feel necessary.

And finally my biggest and most glaring gripe with this show, is the fact that not only are there scenes where male characters are r*ped/sexually assaulted in this show (it happens once in the first season and twice in the second season) its the fact that those assualts aren't quite treated with level of seriousness that they deserve. Keep in mind the first time it happens, it happens off screen, so kuddos for not being gratuitous about it I suppose (thats me being facetious), but it was still uncalled for.

To name some good points about the show, Madame's different outfits from a fashion standpoint are nice. I like how her locs are styled in different ways, I like her makeup, her accessories and her many suits, I would give the onset stylists for her character a raise.

Dime is an enjoyable character to watch, I'd like to see more of a backstory from her as well.

The dialogue was hilatious yet relateable. I like that the entire episode took place just at David's house. It was interesting to watch his spiritual journey and see how it clashed with his friends point of view and their lifestyles. I also like that it was an episode that focuses primarily on male friendship in particular, with song great songs playing in the background. The charaters had good on screen chemistry, David's friends are supportive of him even if they aren't in the same headspace as him. Watching Ari struggle to make his personal connections work in order to further himself in his career felt relateable and it was translated well in this episode through dialogue alone.