MOVIE INFO VIA ROTTEN TOMATOES:
When criminal defense attorney Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) takes on the murder case of artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), the truth isn’t as obvious as it seems. While she tries to determine the innocence or guilt of her cagy-yet-seductive client, it is uncovered that everyone is guilty of something. Tyler Perry’s Mea Culpa explores what happens when burning desire takes hold and things get hot… and dangerous.
REVIEW:
Mea Culpa is Tyler Perry’s most over-the-top, lurid and hyper-sexualized movie ever. And that is how his target audience- middle age to senior black women- like it. This audience only wants two things from Tyler Perry- Medea comedies and sexy thrillers where a smart, affluent, professional black woman does stupid white girl things that gets her in all kinds of trouble. This is the Real Housewives successful formula for reality. Perry has just coopted it and spun it for his target audience.
The stupid white girl thing for Mea Culpa is for defense attorney Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) to fall in love and have steamy sex with the artist accused of murder (Trevante Rhodes) that she’s defending. The second is to do it in defiance of her brother-in-law, the prosecuting attorney who has mayoral ambitions. The dude, who looks like Barack Obama, is a slimy, manipulative controlling gas lighter who loves exerting power over his younger brother. The brother and brother-in-law are played by real life siblings Sean and Nick Sagar, so the Freudian layers are sort of built in.
Competent acting is never the point in a Tyler Perry movie- hysterical acting that looks method enough is. There is enough housewife sniping and sash to give it that reality flavor. The scenes between Mea and the token white mother bitch (Kerry O’Malley) are catfight delights, just waiting for the claws to come out in the grand finale. The men only need to be buff enough with enough abs, thighs and ass to make the sex scenes look artsy yet racy. Rhodes is just required to mumble, smolder his lines and quiver his lips either up (for joy) and down (for sadness and disappointment). Mea’s husband just needs to be helpless and needy. The Obama clone just needs to give off evil Obama vibes. If you don’t have any of the above qualifications you’ll get regulated to the private investigator part (Ron Reaco Lee)- the one role that requires an actual actor and not a model.
Tyler Perry gives everything a high class look with lots of shadows. It’s trash disguised as faux art. The punny title that pairs with the main character is not a sign of depth but a Perry trademark.
Mea Culpa gets a 3/5 or a B. It’s streaming on Netflix.
CREDITS:
Directed by
Written by
Tyler Perry
Produced by
- Tyler Perry
- Dianne Ashford
- Will Areu
- Angi Bones
- Kelly Rowland
Starring
- Kelly Rowland
- Trevante Rhodes
- Nick Sagar
- Sean Sagar
- RonReaco Lee
- Shannon Thornton
Cinematography
Cory Burmester
Edited by
Larry Sexton
Music by
- Amanda Delores
- Patricia Jones
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
- February 23, 2024
Running time
120 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Leave a Reply