“Mea Culpa” is a movie writen and directed by Tyler Perry. It stars Kelly Rowland and Trevante Rhodes.
Tyler Perry is a talented actor, writer, and director. He showcases his skills in two of these roles (directing and writing) to bring us this classic thriller that relies heavily on its script and performances, offering a perfect Hitchcock-style intrigue.
It’s a well-rounded film, one of many we have seen, with good acting, solid dialogue, and impeccable direction that stays true to the genre’s guidelines.
Is it surprising? Not at all.
Plot
A lawyer with marital problems decides to defend a famous painter accused of murder. Things get complicated due to her husband’s family and a clear conflict of interest in the case. She begins to get close to her client, a famous and charming man, and the case starts to affect her personally.
About the Film
A perfect movie for Friday nights, with Kelly Rowland standing out as the absolute protagonist. She plays the heroine and star of the film in a role that, while not Oscar-worthy, allows her to shine with an excellent script that hits all the right marks and delivers a good suspense film, albeit one that fails to leave a lasting impression on the viewer.
It’s a story so classic and traditionally crafted that, despite all its virtues, it fails to bring a touch of originality that we miss.
It’s excellent and knows how to pace itself. The relationship between the artist and the lawyer takes its time. And yet, everything is so predictable and classic that the good technical work loses much of its appeal.
It knows how to develop secondary characters and give them a reason to be in a perfectly crafted script that fits together harmoniously, but without surprising or making the film stand out among the countless almost identical thrillers we’ve seen.
It’s an “old-fashioned” suspense film: the tension lies in the dialogues, the character development, and how the plot and intrigue slowly consume the characters from within.
Without chases, risky scenes, or adventures, this film relies heavily on psychological elements.
“Mea Culpa” seems content with following the thriller norms and, while executing them well, doesn’t seem to want to stand out consciously.
Our Opinion
A traditional film, perfectly crafted. Excellent script, good performances, coherent dialogue and plot. It doesn’t surprise or stand out, and it won’t leave a lasting impression.