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Clifford "Method Man" Smith in "The Wackness".
Diary Of A Tired Black Man
DVD REVIEW
Rated - R
4 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
KAM WILLIAMS SAYS:
DVD REVIEW
Rated - R
4 OUT 5 POPCORN BAGS
KAM WILLIAMS SAYS:
losers always airing their dirty linen any day of the week on The Jerry Springer Show. From Waiting to
Exhale to Two Can Play That Game to Diary of a Mad Black Woman, these female empowerment
flicks have generally left brothers not only browbeaten but in need of an image overhaul. Now, help
has arrived in Diary of a Tired Black Man, a fascinating half-documentary-half melodrama from the
very talented Tim Alexander.
At the point of departure, we find James’ (Jimmy Jean-Louis) being dogged by his ex-wife (Paula
Lema) and her Amen chorus of self-righteous girlfriends because he arrived to pick up his daughter
with the white woman he’s currently dating. Without reacting to their verbal attack, he calmly pauses
to let them know that he had been, and still is, an excellent, if unappreciated provider.
Rather than continue with the rest of his modern morality play, at this juncture the ingenious director
came up with a brilliant cinematic device which only heightens the already palpable tension. He
freezes the action here and periodically throughout the story for revealing man-in-the-street interviews
featuring fan reaction to the couple’s heated exchange.
So, essentially half of what we see is an intriguing documentary of everyday folks from all walks of life
weighing-in on the battle-of-the-sexes. And those remarks, ranging from the profane to the profound
and from the silly to the sobering, prove to be every bit as telling as the film’s fictional front story.
For instance, a young woman quick to question whether there are any good black men out there
refers to the married guy she dated for two years as “typical “and an “effed-up, trifling-ass Negro.” Yet,
when asked why she even entered such an ill-fated, illicit liaison in the first place, her only answer is
that she “fell in love,” leaving the audience to conclude that she’s just as much to blame for her lot in
life as all the black men she’s just dissed.
Overall, the movie does tend to come down harder on females than on males, even though it doesn’t
let brothers off the hook entirely. Cleverly-edited to keep the audience on the edge of its seat, the
movie flits back and forth between frank dialogue and the riveting tug-of-war between James and
Tanya.
With both the factual and fictional parts of the picture equally absorbing, anticipate feeling emotionally
drained in the end, yet also inspired to discuss the degree of dysfunction permeating African-
American relationships. While Tim Alexander is quick to say that “Diary of a Tired Black Man is not a
movie, it’s a message,” This critic found it so thoroughly entertaining that it struck me as obviously
both.
Exhale to Two Can Play That Game to Diary of a Mad Black Woman, these female empowerment
flicks have generally left brothers not only browbeaten but in need of an image overhaul. Now, help
has arrived in Diary of a Tired Black Man, a fascinating half-documentary-half melodrama from the
very talented Tim Alexander.
At the point of departure, we find James’ (Jimmy Jean-Louis) being dogged by his ex-wife (Paula
Lema) and her Amen chorus of self-righteous girlfriends because he arrived to pick up his daughter
with the white woman he’s currently dating. Without reacting to their verbal attack, he calmly pauses
to let them know that he had been, and still is, an excellent, if unappreciated provider.
Rather than continue with the rest of his modern morality play, at this juncture the ingenious director
came up with a brilliant cinematic device which only heightens the already palpable tension. He
freezes the action here and periodically throughout the story for revealing man-in-the-street interviews
featuring fan reaction to the couple’s heated exchange.
So, essentially half of what we see is an intriguing documentary of everyday folks from all walks of life
weighing-in on the battle-of-the-sexes. And those remarks, ranging from the profane to the profound
and from the silly to the sobering, prove to be every bit as telling as the film’s fictional front story.
For instance, a young woman quick to question whether there are any good black men out there
refers to the married guy she dated for two years as “typical “and an “effed-up, trifling-ass Negro.” Yet,
when asked why she even entered such an ill-fated, illicit liaison in the first place, her only answer is
that she “fell in love,” leaving the audience to conclude that she’s just as much to blame for her lot in
life as all the black men she’s just dissed.
Overall, the movie does tend to come down harder on females than on males, even though it doesn’t
let brothers off the hook entirely. Cleverly-edited to keep the audience on the edge of its seat, the
movie flits back and forth between frank dialogue and the riveting tug-of-war between James and
Tanya.
With both the factual and fictional parts of the picture equally absorbing, anticipate feeling emotionally
drained in the end, yet also inspired to discuss the degree of dysfunction permeating African-
American relationships. While Tim Alexander is quick to say that “Diary of a Tired Black Man is not a
movie, it’s a message,” This critic found it so thoroughly entertaining that it struck me as obviously
both.
