The movie begins with a court scene, the judge admonishing Melinda for her behavior and advising her to attend therapy to avoid harsher consequences such as jail time. She glares at the other side of the courtroom and has to be nudged by her attorney to reply she understands. She attends a therapy session resentful at having to be there and begins telling her story of betrayal to the court appointed counselor. She begins by describing how she met Robert as they crashed into each other on campus. Their schoolwork gets exchanged accidentally and Robert locates her dorm room to return her papers to her and reclaim his own. There is an instant attraction and he offers to help her with her paper as he's already taken the class. And they begin working together and seeing each other. Melinda fails the assignment and as she's telling Robert about the sacrifice her mother is making to send her to school she sees her two sisters walk up. They give her the news that her mother has passed away.
Melinda Moore (Ajiona Alexus & Taraji P. Henson) tries to fulfill her parent's dream of obtaining a college education. On her way home from studying, Melinda runs into Robert Gayle (Antonio Madison & Lyriq Bent), and the two develop a fast friendship. As their relationship develops at the dismay of Melinda's meddling family, will the couple live happily ever after, or will their behavior tear them apart?
Writer-director Tyler Perry (Good Deeds, For Colored Girls, The Family That Preys) delivers a surprisingly nuanced thriller with Acrimony. The cinematography, script and story are all first rate, which allows the actors to shine and deliver outstanding performances.
Ajiona Alexus lights up the screen as the younger version of Melinda, while Taraji P. Henson delivers a true descent into madness with her portrayal of the older, present-day Melinda. Lyriq Bent as the mature Robert becomes more of a sympathetic character than the viewer might have expected due to his excellent ability to embody Robert's humanity.
Make no mistake - the film is not high art, nor does it pretend to be. We are treated to a bleak depiction of human nature as well as an honest portrayal of mental illness. Fortunately, Mr. Perry has an excellent sense of humor - even at their most depraved, the characters manage to make us guffaw with laughter.
Acrimony was released in the United States by Lionsgate on March 30, 2018.
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