Tyler Perry's film "Mea Culpa" is a legal thriller that shares similarities to his previous feature film "A Fall from Grace." Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes, and Sean Sagar star in this movie. This movie features a love triangle cliché in a sense; it's dramatic and has the suspenseful element of a murder case.
Synopsis
Kelly Rowland plays Chicago criminal defense lawyer Mea Harper who takes on the murder case of artist Zyair Malloy's dead girlfriend. Her attempt to establish his innocence takes an interesting turn. The reason for the tension in this movie is that Mea's husband Kal (Sean Sagar) lost his job while she was responsible for paying all of the bills. The connection that previously existed between them gradually fades due to his mother Azalia (Kerry O'Malley). Because of her ongoing demeaning of Mea and passive-aggressive behavior toward her, his mother is essentially the antagonist in this film.
Highs
Rowland's portrayal of Mea, the strong character, and her willingness to pursue a difficult murder case over the opinions of her husband and his family made for an outstanding performance. Even when Zyair makes things different for her, she still can keep it secure and follow the rules. Her best friend and go-to private investigator Jimmy (Ron Reaco Lee) is another high; he assists her in cracking this murder case. He brings a sense of humor to the movie and plays a distinctive role because he only has her best interests at heart.
Then, as an artist, the enigmatic Zyair behaves like any other modest artist. Despite his quiet demeanor, he seems fixated on being seductive. Trevante Rhodes does an excellent job acting, especially in light of how well-developed the mystery and sociopathic aspects of his character are. The film's paintings were stunning and enhanced the artistic quality of the character. The painting sequences demonstrated the genuine passion the character felt for the painting. Zyair's loft had the ideal atmosphere for a living space for an artist.
Additionally, images from the murder site helped to piece this case together. Mea was in a lot of difficulty because it was a hard case with strong evidence. The instances where Jimmy was trying to get Zyair to crack were particularly funny as he was being interrogated. There were moments of tension that truly made the viewer wonder if Zyair was innocent or not. The TV character Annaisle Keating from "How to Get Away with Murder" is a lot like Mea's character, which kept me interested. They are similar because both characters will not back down from a murder case challenge regardless if they believe the defendant is guilty or not.
Lows
Mea's spouse Kal was a mama's boy and a weak character, making him the low point of the film. Even when his mother openly despised Mea in front of his entire family, he would never defend her. However, because Mea was a defense lawyer and his brother Ray (Nick Sagar) was a prosecutor, who was equally as bad, he would also attack her. In particular, he served as the prosecutor in the Zyair murder case that she took on. Ray made the same passive-aggressive remarks about Mea that his mother Azalia did, which demonstrated how awful his attitude toward Mea was. I would get annoyed by these specific instances because her husband fails to protect her.
Another low point was that, in my opinion, the absence of any courtroom scenes throughout the entire film diminished its overall portrayal of a murder case. A courtroom scene would have strengthened the film's cohesion and highlighted Mea's skill as a defense lawyer. Zyair's testimony would reveal whether or not he was genuinely guilty, as well as whether or not he was less of a psychopath and charming person. He was a very careless person who had less sympathy for his deceased girlfriend.
Verdict
There were intriguing plot twists in this film that helped to tie it all together, especially towards the end where the main action happens.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10.
Mariam Fakhreddine is a film and theater reviewer for The Eastern Echo. She has worked as a news and features reporter for The Echo for two years.
