'For colored girls' an atypical review!

As the house manager of the 'Women of color house' at my university, there was no way that I could turn a blind eye to the movie, 'For colored girls'. So, I organized a program for about 60 students of color to go see it. I saw the movie, by Tyler Perry, last night. It is based on a book, a collection of monologous poems, by Ntozake Shange. Powerful movie I tell ya, it showed issues of abuse, neglect, authority, homosexuality perceptions, results of war, extreme religiousity and it goes on. You know its Tyler Perry, too much will be going on in the movie.
So far, this is my favorite movie of his and the first that was not fully written by him. Also, he did a good job with assembling a cast of very talented actresses and actors to really deliver the message. Like the rape scene was not the typical stuff, the timing of the insensitive act was more emphasized than the rape itself. The opera ensemble was all-black! Like for real tho, I ain't seen that before. Tyler perry didn't use Madea as a comic buffer in this movie either. Comedy was not needed because it is not a movie to be laughed but to resonate about. I mean it was a heavy movie with tragedies. Overall, the theme was 'self-love', it's ok to love someone deeply but you have to keep some for yourself.

I read a review that said the movie was not realistic, are you kidding me? This stuff is real, it happens for real.

The main actresses in the last scene. For colored girls

Some of my favorite quotations from the movie are

'My love is too SANCTIFIED to be thrown at my face'
"Because I had convinced myself that colored girls have no right to sorrow!"
"Being colored is a metaphysical dilemma I have not conquered yet"

Then my favorite monologue is below, it's really about self-love'. It was after the character's partner left her for the umpteenth time for another woman.

somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff
not my poems or a dance i gave up in the street
but somebody almost walked off wid alla my stuff
like a kleptomaniac workin hard & forgettin while stealin
this is mine/this aint yr stuff/
now why don’t you put me back & let me hang out in my own self
somebody almost walked off wit alla my stuff
& didn’t care enuf to send a note home sayin
i was late for my solo conversation
or two sizes to small for my own tacky skirts
what can anybody do wit somethin of no value on
a open market/ did you getta dime for my things/
hey man/ where are you goin wid alla my stuff/
to ohh & ahh abt/ daddy/ i gotta mainline number
from my own shit/ now wontcha put me back/ & let
me play this duet/ wit silver ring in my nose/
honest to god/ somebody almost run off wit alla my stuff/
& i didnt bring anythin but the kick & sway of it
the perfect ass for my man & none of it is theirs
this is mine/ ntozake ‘her own things’/ that’s my name
now give me my stuff/ i see ya hidin my laugh/ & how i
sit wif my legs open sometimes/ to give my crotch
some sunlight/ & there goes my love my toes my chewed
up finger nails/ niggah/ wif the curls in yr hair/
mr. louisiana hot link/ i want my stuff back/
my rhytums & my voice/ open my mouth/ & let me talk ya
outta/ throwin my shit in the sewar/ this is some delicate
leg & whimsical kiss/ i gotta have to give to my choice/
without you runnin off wit alla my shit/
now you cant have me less i give me away/ & i waz
doin all that/ til ya run off on a good thing/
who is this you left me wit/ some simple bitch
widda bad attitude/ i wants my things/
i want my arm wit the hot iron scar/ & my leg wit the
flea bite/ i want my calloused feet & quik language back
in my mouth/ fried plantains/ pineapple pear juice/
sun-ra & joseph & jules/ i want my own things/ how i lived them/
& give me my memories/ how i waz when i waz there/
you cant have them or do nothin wit them/
stealin my shit from me/ dont make it yrs/ makes it stolen/
somebody almost run off wit alla my stuff/ & i waz standin
there/ lookin at myself/ the whole time
& it waznt a spirit took my stuff/ waz a man whose
ego walked round like Rodan’s shadow/ waz a man faster
n my innocence/ waz a lover/ i made too much
room for/ almost run off wit alla my stuff/
& i didnt know i’d give it up so quik/ & the one runnin wit it/
don’t know he got it/ & i’m shoutin this is mine/ & he dont
know he got it/ my stuff is the anonymous rip[ped off treasure
of the year/ did you know somebody almost got away wit me/
me in a plastic bag under their arm/ me
danglin on a string of personal carelessness/ i’m spattered wit
mud & city rain/ & no i didnt get a chance to take a douche/
hey man/ this is not your perogative/ i gotta have me in my
pocket/ to get round like a good woman shd/ & make the poem
in the pot or the chicken in the dance/ what i got to do/
i gotta get my stuff to do it to/
why dont ya find yr own things/ & leave this package
of me for my destiny/ what ya got to get from me/
i’ll give it to ya/ yeh/ i’ll give it to ya/
round 5:00 in the winter/ when the sky is blue-red/
& Dew City is gettin pressed/ if it’s really my stuff/
ya gotta give it to me/ if ya really want it/ i’m
the only one/ can handle it

This movie is a must-watch.
That is especially if you a woman of color and I know Nigerians in the States(or in any other westernized country) do not really feel the need to relate to the idea of being a 'person of color'. But I tell you that the States is the society that you live in now and every brown skin goes through the same 'sh*t'.


PS: I'm going to see Fela on Broadway. on Saturday! What should I expect??

Update: I never made to seeing Fela. I missed it in London too in Jan, 2011. :(
Je t'embarasse.