A Review by Phil Calabro
2004, Magnolia Pictures, Dir. Michael Schultz - Starring Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, Debbie Morgan, Michael Boatman, Clifton Powell, Idalis DeLeon, T.D. Jakes, Sean Blakemore, Jordan Moseley, Destiny Edmond, J Karen Thomas
Pity is a film factor that should be held with extreme caution by directors - too little could make it an ignored theme, too much will make it too sappy. With 'Woman', it's hard to say where it stands on the spectrum. There are plenty of scenes that will make the situations seems way too unrealistic, and other very identifiable - and when you're getting something out of the bag from a Baptist ministry, you can't except something incredible. However, the film is very convincing of one young woman's slow and depressing doddering through life as she faces a conflict between her tattered consciousness and her religious subconcious - as well as a showstopping performance by Kimberly Elise.
Michelle Jordan (Elise) has been imprisoned for the second time, after a public murder on a Baptist revival meeting. The bishop speaking (T.D. Jakes, as himself) visits the young woman in jail, to get a deeper perspective on her life. Jordan chronicles her life, as she became ignored by her mother Cassie (Devine) thanks to a snakish stepfather Reggie (Powell), who is an alcoholic and pothead but denies everything to Cassie. At the age of twelve, Michelle is raped by Reggie, who later denies doing such atrocities. Michelle ends up leaving the house and becoming a stripper to satisfy her crack-cocaine addiction and to pay rent. After being busted, sent to prison, and released on parole, Michelle decides to make a fresh start. But when everything from past keeps revisiting her, as well as a former love Todd (Boatman), she finds she may be the problem of everything.
Kimberly Elise is absolutely fantastic in the role of Michelle Jordan, possibly one of this year's best. Her character is hardly upbeat, but so realistic that she practically embodies a deteriorating soul in search of something to keep herself sedated from reality. Loretta Devine accomplishes a great task as the undecisive and pushy mother figure of Michelle, who wavers on back and forth between her love life and her only child - one that becomes very believable at certain times but faked at others. Clifton Powell is effective, but not great, as the snakish child molester Reggie. He seems too stereotyped rather than putting more effort into the character - one of many dimensions should have involved a bit more work from Powell. Michael Boatman plays the goody-two-shoes loverboy Todd who falls in love with Michelle, but plays it safely - he's not great, but works fine in the context, considering that he's not a primary role. T.D. Jakes, who wrote and played himself, is surprisingly amazing. His stamina and energy from his revivals are used to its advantage.
I understand that many of the dilemmas faced by our protagonist are quite possible, but the way that director Schultz presents seem like a hackneyed worst-case scenario. It feels too much like a TV movie in many places, but makes up for this in its own special ways. It also has a knack to stereotype African-American culture, which is not something that should be done as often as in a movie of this caliber. Understandably, director Schultz has had much experience in Afro-centric film as he did with his early hits 'Cooley High' and 'Car Wash' with Richard Pryor, but the material seems to throw too many cheap shots. A high point to this movie is its constant devotion to metaphorism. These plot elements, including a model house and a stained dress, have some sort of underlying notion that is not overdone, but left alone to sink into the audience. Usually I would scold the director for letting the audience assume something, but it seems more respectable when done in this fashion.
'Woman Thou Art Loosed' isn't your pathetic excuse for a TV movie, but a heartfelt look into the world of poverty, abuse, addiction, and finding yourself throughout the midst of it. It's well-acted, well-written, and moderately directed - but in the end, it fulfills most of its material, despite edging around some cheesy corners. One of this year's better good-hearted dramas, definitely.
3/4 stars
