Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) is looking for something more in his life. Yes, he’s got money, the perfect fiancée, the extravagant car and although his brother is on the wrong side of the track, Wesley has taken him under his wing and is trying his best. Unfortunately that’s not what he wants in life. Wesley doesn’t know what he wants… That’s until he meets Lindsey Wakefield (Thandie Newton) of course. She’s a spitfire and she is not afraid to tell people what she thinks, but as a single mother that’s too proud to really ask for help, Lindsey becomes evicted and the child welfare is called in… Will their destinies be interwoven enough in the end to overcome the things that they both have to face individually and together?
Good Deeds is one of those films that I would watch on a Sunday morning. It’s heart-warming, enjoyable, easy to follow and although I’m not a fan of the soundtrack (a little too 1980′s for my taste), there were a few good things that should be noted about the cinematography. What I would add to that would unfortunately be that this is not really the type of film I usually enjoy. Yes, Tyler Perry (Madea Goes to Jail, Diary of a Mad Black Woman) is a seasoned actor when it comes to pretending and Good Deeds is just a further showcase of his ability to act, but frankly, you need to be in the mood to fully enjoy this film (I was in the mood, therefore I enjoyed it). The problem with Good Deeds is not that it’s not a good film, but like with Diary of a Mad Black Woman, you have to be in the mood for it to fully enjoy it. Of course, as with all Tyler Perry films that mean anything, we are forced to come to watch a stereotypical black man/woman have to overcome their struggles in an almost unrealistic manner. In Good Deeds we have Wesley Deeds, the black CEO of a multimillion dollar company who falls in love with life after meeting the stereotypical single black mother who gets evicted and almost gets raped… It’s just a little too predictable in some instances. Now, as far as Thandie Newton (2012) is concerned, I’m surprised that she even took the role. Yes, she played her role to perfection and was able to bring a tear to my eye, but there was conviction lacking at the end of her performance.
Good Deeds was a good film, but it almost always bordered on mundane. I almost missed Madea shouting at Thandie Newton to get her life back together and to give Wesley Deeds a piece of her mind. In other words, it’s a Madea film that doesn’t star Tyler Perry’s alter-ego.
It’s certainly one of the finer films in Tyler Perry’s resume, but not one that’s memorable. I would advice die-hard Tyler Perry fans to get their hands on it, but for those who aren’t, wait for it to come to TV rather.
