ACRIMONY - MOVIE REVIEW

I'm not the lovey type when it comes to movies. You won't see me watch a movie without breaking of teeth, smashing of bones or usage of weapons. Literally, people call my kind of movies action movies. You had better make sure the characters fights if you want me to watch a movie with you.

Acrimony just changed my mindset. The only part a gun was raised was at the very end, and I watched every part without any regrets or feeling bored.

Enough of me already, let's dive straight to the movie. It was directed by Tyler Perry and released on the third month of this year. Yes! It's still a new movie at least. This is a summary made when it was released.

A faithful wife (Taraji P. Henson) tired of standing by her devious husband (Lyriq Bent) is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

Now, this got me thinking at first. The summary was quite clear with only one thing on every mind before watching it.

A woman that stood by her husband, got tired and the husband ended up betraying her.

This was exactly what I believed happened until I watched it. This is what some people still believe, and there has been several argument as to who was right or wrong, the husband or the wife?

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Melinda met Robert in college, you wouldn't blame the young girl for falling in love with a cute, brilliant and smart young guy. Robert had all the looks and brilliancy, but one thing was missing, he was broke. He depended on scholarships and few cash he gets on studying to survive.

Robert had big dreams and never failed to tell Melinda how he will rock her world, take her places, buy her expensive things and give her everything she desires. He was the perfect man for Melinda. They seemed perfect.

Melinda's sisters wouldn't agree with that. Brenda and Sarah believed Robert is just a wannabe playing with her head in the quest to get money from her. Melinda's mother's death made her rich and her sisters were getting over protective.

$350,000 with a house is enough to be called rich. Owning that at a very young age with a broke boyfriend got her sisters worried, it might get finished if proper care is not taken.

And it actually got finished.

The money started reducing when Robert talked about a car, he actually didn't ask for it, but he gave some statements that made Melinda believed he deserves a car. Then, a whooping $24,739 was spent in getting one.

Few weeks after Robert got a car, he failed to call Melinda. She got worried and went to his place. She caught him with another lady, it made her mad and almost killed both of them, she got injured too though. I guess this is where the "betrayal" in the summary started making sense.

At a point, Melinda believed her sisters, they were right! The broke boy will ruin her and have another girl. She was too drunk in love and ended up accepting Robert back after several pleadings from him. This made him serious with her and didn't cheat afterwards. He proposed and married her.

The future seemed bright, they were young, there was money, Robert was brilliant and hence would make more with it, what more do they need? They were happy I guess.

Then, the problems started.

Robert was devious, he believed in a project he was making, a battery. Whatever the battery is planning to power we ain't sure, but it failed to power up their apartment twice. Melinda spent a lot to get it done and all the money got finished with $13,220 debt on their neck. Virtually all she had was spent on Robert and he became her only hope.

Robert graduated and couldn't the big jobs due to a criminal case he had some years back. That's where the hope died. Robert wouldn't get a job, he was still skeptical about his battery, so mortgaging the house was the only choice to make his dreams come true.

And it was taking too long.

He had been writing letters to a big firm (Prescot) about his invention and they didn't give hima response. It was more than two decades, still Robert never gave up. He soon realised the lady he had sex with was in a position to help him at Preskot. Well, he thought his dreams finally came true until Diana declined.

It was looking too rough for them, they were about to lose the house and the only way to keep it is if Robert works with Melinda's family to raise some money. He agreed and finally got a job.

Robert made two big decisions of his life in one day.

He got a call from Preskot, he was suppose to deliver a package somewhere or attend a quick interview with them. The family might lose everything if he failed to deliver the package, and he might never get the chance of an interview with Preskot if he declines that offer. He chose Preskot anyway, who would have made a different choice?

He also had the opportunity to accept $800,000 cash for his invention and lose its right. He declined that too.

Two tough decisions in one day.

This got Melinda mad and asked for a divorce not just because of his decisions but because Diana's purse was found in his truck.

She got tired.

She moved on and so did Robert. Just when Robert thought it was finished, Diana revived him by settling him with the deal he wanted with Preskot, then, he became rich. Everything he ever wanted was there for him. But, her wife was already an ex. It would have been perfect if she was still in the picture.

He made sure Melinda was okay by buying back her house for her, he gave her $2,000,000 cash and of course a house. It looks settled, but money still wouldn't buy the all the time Melinda had been with him or has it?

Melinda felt bad and tried getting her man back. Unfortunately for her, it was too late. Robert had proposed to Diana already and she was living her dreams.

She felt betrayed.

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The story was narrated by Melinda her self. In her part, she believed she wasn't a stereotype, life wasn't fair, everything wasn't fair. She made Robert and he should be hers. Diana got to the picture late, she wasn't there when she was sacrificing her all, then she shouldn't be the one to have Robert.

She believed Robert had cheated on her the second time, the purse found in Robert's truck wasn't coincidental. All the love he shown were fake, everything he promised her wasn't fulfilled.

She was mad at him, she was mad at everyone.

Robert and Diana had their honeymoon on a yatch. Exactly what he promised Melinda. Everything seems cool and perfect until Melinda disrupted everything. She shot Robert and died when trying to kill him with an axe. I believe she slipped, fell into the water and drowned.

Perhaps, Robert survived the gunshots, that's not the bone of contention. The issue is she died believing she was betrayed, is it true? Robert should have left Diana for her, would that be right?

I'm actually not here to argue who was right or wrong, it's a review and I hope I gave you the exact picture of what happened in the movie.

I guess I've given a lot of information about the movie already.

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A movie can't be 100% perfect, there are still some irregularities and misconceptions in my part.

We were made to believe Melinda was the only one that benefited from her mother's properties. A woman with three daughters would will all her properties to only one daughter? The money Melinda got was a life insurance policy though.

If Melinda had gotten $350,000, I believe her elder sisters should at least have a little more than that since the house was given to her too. Perhaps, they got their own share of the properties. But, they seemed broke and had to do difficult jobs to help Melinda get back her house. What had they done with their money? My best guess, they weren't included in the will and it seemed impossible.

Maybe I skipped the part where they were given something at least.

Also..

Melinda tried pulling down Robert's apartment with her car and she got injured in the process, this made her admitted into the hospital. She couldn't talk nor see anyone at that moment. When Robert tried visiting her at the hospital, Brenda sent him away accusing him of cheating on her after everything she did for him.

Now, I'm surprised. How did she know? It's definitely not from Melinda.

Another one!

Suddenly, Melinda appeared on Robert's yatch. It wasn't his house nor an hotel where she can burst into anytime. The yatch was in the middle of an ocean or probably a sea. They should at least point out how she got on the yatch.

Melinda was surrounded by her families, there was no way she could have gone out without them knowing. And guess what? She got on the yatch with a wedding dress.

How so?

Still a review, I'm not in any way rubbishing Tyler's work. This is the best film I've watched this year. Although, it had a sad ending but it's great.

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There are still many things to catch up on the movie but I'm dropping my pen here. I'll leave you with these words.

Just watch the movie.

All images are screenshots from the movie.

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@afolwalex writes.