I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009)

Excellent but underrated film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

April (Taraji P. Henson) is a heavy-drinking nightclub singer who lives off of her married boyfriend Raymond (Brian White). Her stagnant life takes a sudden U-turn when her delinquent niece and nephews are caught stealing from Madea's (Tyler Perry) house and are brought to April to stay with her. April does not want anything to do with the kids and the water begins to boil as she begins to go head-to-head with her hot-tempered, sixteen year old niece Jennifer (Hope Olaide Wilson). Just when we think enough has happened in one day Sandino Ramirez (Adam Rodriguez), a handsome handy-man from Colombia looking for hard work to make a living, moves in with April. Sandino is not too welcome, but tries to challenge April to open her heart towards her niece and nephew, and others, as he makes amends to his own troubled past. April soon is faced with reality of making the biggest decision of her life: between her old ways with Raymond and the new possibilities of faith, family and even true love.In Tyler Perry's movies there is never just one theme. He always has to have an array of messages; however, the main theme in this film is shown in the saga between April and Sandino. In this movie the character April is one of those people that is not really expecting much out of life. She has not really given up on life, but is just content with where she is. She sings at a nightclub (something she loves to do) and she mooches off of her boyfriend in her apartment. Sandino Ramirez is a handy-man from Columbia and experienced a troubled childhood. He has come to America in search of a better life, and so the church asks April if she can allow him to stay with her in exchange for work around the house. While Sandino is lodging with April, he is a front seat witness to the neglect from April to her niece and nephews. April does not really know how to love and how to show affection towards her family, which is why she does not have kids of her own. She does not like kids; therefore, she does not do anything for them. She doesn't make them feel welcome; she barely makes room for them to sleep. And she does not really want Sandino to be there. And so when Sandino steps up, he begins to cross the boundaries as he decides to be "Iyanla Vanzandt," and to take matters into his own hands. Sandino tries to get April to wake up and to see that what she is doing to her family and that the way of life, and thinking, she's living is driving her family away from her. He tries to get her to open up her heart to her niece and nephews and to be more sensitive towards their needs. He even tries to get her to realize that this man that she has living with her, she does not even really love. So what is the message here? One cannot find love in un-lovable places. One cannot fill their inner vacancies with drugs, alcohol, sex or even an abusive relationship. And one, also, cannot go through life by themselves. A person cannot try to live life without the help, or love, of their family or friends. People with closed hearts push people away because they fear being hurt again. They lack trust in others because their trust has been stolen from someone else. Trust someone. Whether it is your neighbor, your best friend, the guy down the street or even God, trust somebody. Do not have a closed heart. People with closed hearts push important people away from them, thus, others not wanting to be around them. Their life will remain stagnant.This movie, just like all of Tyler Perry's movies, contains all of the qualities and characteristics that make his movies the success they are. It contains: love, comedy, dramatic irony, an intense climax, a Christian message, comic relief and legends! All of these are what makes me so excited when I hear about another Tyler Perry production in the making. His movies inspire people and speak to nations. He certainly is a legend, himself, and will forevermore be recorded in history as such.

Tyler Perry whole motivation is family and faith many people attack Perry for his way of portraying, African-American families. I can do bad all by my self takes a look at how families and faith are intertwined, when April's life is turned upside down with the unwelcome knock on the door by Madea(Tyler Perry) with three children. As April(Taraji P. Henson) has to learn about the value of family. The Church plays a major role as well without the Church the faith of April would not have been as strong in overcoming her inter-conflicts that she was dealing with her selfish ways and wanting a married man, but with the help of Sandino(Adam Rodriguez) April not only finds her way in finding what true love is but learning how to love herself. Tyler is still learning how to direct a good film, but will every movie be a great one, those who feel that Perry is in above is head need to take notice of what his movies symbolize, faith, family, and love. Tyler's problem is all of his movies are based on the same thing African-American families with some type of issues. This may not be Tyler's best film; however $23,446,785 on an opening weekend is not bad. So say Perry is not a good director, but Perry keeps growing in the film industry, and his television shows. This is a must see movie that is great for family to see as a family.

Yes, Madea is in the film. Along with her version of wisdom and the Bible in plain language. I can always count on Tyler Perry to provide me with entertainment, great casts, incredible story lines, self empowerment, humor and another life lesson. Parents take your children to see this film. Be prepared to talk about the content afterward. If you don't Madea may come knocking your door down.This film like the other Tyler Perry productions leaves better than you were before. He gives you something to think and about and always transcends the demarcation set by society. Things that happen in the movie such as Grandma Rose's situation, really happen every day to people you know. No one cares enough to ask questions and get involved because it's not their business and they wouldn't want someone in their business. The lesson, it is our business, it is our responsibility and if folks don't like it, tell them to take it up with Madea. I can hardly wait for the next TP Production.

For all of you bad critics.I've been looking at the comments people make on movies such as "Dough Boys" and "Never Die Alone" and all I have to say to the bad critics is a few comments. Most of you who rate these movies based on it's cinematic beauty and character, never take the time to view it for what it was meant. These movies are all great in my book, one being because they are things that I have seen since I was 8 years old and still see today, so I can relate to them. Which is what they are, stories that are told for the enjoyment of people who can relate to them and to show those who cannot, the reality that these characters lived in relation to real life situations.But since we have a lot of people who were born with silver spoons in their mouth trying to make their voices be the base of the percussion line, they can and will never see it that way. Every time they watch a movie their looking at the camera detail, the acting to be 10 stars, the story to be about white houses with picket fences and a happy ending under a rainbow, while we who relate to the story always think the movie was great because it speaks for us, it lets everyone who see's it know that these things do happen, regardless of it's budget and cinematography.So to all you bad movie critics, My advice to you is to stop watching these movies that you cannot relate to, or just stop being a critic and just keep it to yourself.This movie is getting unwarranted bad reviews. I'm disappointed to see so many judgmental reviewers who are completely overlooking the premise of this movie. While it may not be for everyone, it certainly was entertaining and in a sea of meaningless and offensive movies, this one actually spreads a positive message. I just wish people would stop watching and reviewing Tyler Perry movies if they don't like him or his previous work or believe his plots are redundant. If you're not a fan, stay away...that's a no-brainer.In one of his most satisfying films to date, Tyler Perry keeps the faith with his devoted audience, giving them his signature mash-up of heart-wrenching melodrama (there's enough material here for a dozen Lifetime movies), outrageous comic relief, and soul-stirring spiritual uplift. Adapted from his play of the same name, I Can Do Bad All by Myself stars Taraji P. Henson as April, another damaged Perry woman on the verge. She's an alcoholic nightclub singer involved with a controlling married man and estranged from her mother and her church (despite the best efforts of a congregant portrayed by Gladys Knight). When her mother dies, April is forced to take in her dead crack-addict sister's three children. She does not exactly put out the welcome mat. Perry's crowd-pleasing signature character, Madea, aka "the heavyweight champion of the world," is mostly offscreen, but she makes the most of her scant screen time, serving up her own brand of old school discipline ("I promise you gonna come up missing," she threatens one troubled teen who talks back to her) and values-added wisdom ("You get out of this life what you put into it"). Will April finally see the light, accept the Lord, and open her heart to the kids and the saintly (and handsome) Colombian immigrant handyman (Adam Rodriguez) who lives in her basement? Knight, Marvin Winans, and Mary J. Blige raise the roof with showstopping gospel and blues numbers that capture the fervor of a Perry theatrical experience. Another Perry film not screened in advance for critics, another film that was No. 1 at the box office its opening weekend, I Can Do Bad All by Myself is further testimony that, for now, Perry can seemingly do no wrong.danceability-1, Amsterdam Holland