ACRIMONY (2018) Movie Review

Taraji P. Henson turns away from her usual inspiring roles and takes a literal stab at the horror genre. Acrimony is Tyler Perry's darkest project yet, an in-depth exploration of divorce's destructive nature. It shows the darkest side of Borderline Personality Disorder. Melinda Moore is much like a certain Crazy Ex-Girlfriendwith BPD. Only this obsessive ex-girlfriend has no interest in music or Los Angelas. The film follows Melinda Moore's life, including the series of reckless decisions that lead to a bitter divorce and an irreversible downfall.

In order to understand her decisions, she must first understand her motivation. What drives her actions? Simply put, she wants money. A lot of it. She becomes obsessed with the glamorous lifestyle that Robert Gale promises her. All he needs is a car, or tuition money, or money for supplies or unlimited free time to work on his project. His never-ending list of demands quickly drains her bank account, a generous nest egg meant to give her a comfortable life. Instead of saying "NO", she hands it over without a second thought.

She buys Robert a brand new car.
She pays for his college tuition.
She takes out a mortgage on her family home.
She takes two jobs to carry both of them while he works at home.

Not only does she forfeit her financial security over this fairy-tale, but also her health and her future. The first of her string of reckless decisions is dropping out of college. With Robert's promises of a glamorous, comfortable life, she no longer sees the point in working hard to build her own future.

The most terrifying decision she makes is her violent attack on Robert after he cheats on her. A normal woman would walk away and never look back after this revelation. Not Melinda. She crashes her car into his home, and the force of the impact renders her infertile. The promise of a family and her sense of purpose is stripped from her.

It's true that Robert is not completely innocent. He makes his own series of reckless decisions in life. The felony conviction on his record keeps from finding promising employment. He chooses to cheat on Melinda. He proposes to her with no stable plan. When he does find work, he is unreliable and the business suffers. His series of bad decisions land them both to financial ruin and divorce.

These two are both young, reckless individuals who have no business getting married in the first place. Still, there is one crucial difference between the two. Robert takes responsibility for his actions. He is humble. He doesn't fight the terms of their divorce. As soon as he is able, he goes above and beyond to fix the damage he causes to Melinda's life with a ten million dollar check and the deed to her family home. His generosity, both emotional and financial, exceeds hers in every way. He is gentle and humble toward her throughout the lowest point in his life.

How does Melinda repay his kindness? BLAME. WRATH. REVENGE

Even though the separation is her idea, she cannot take responsibility for letting her dream slip away. She blames him for cheating her instead. Several court cases later, she winds up with a failed lawsuit, a restraining order, and mandated therapy. Still, the dream of a wealthy life festers in her bitter mind, the same bitterness that keeps Robert at a standstill for so many years.

It is no coincidence that Robert's invention takes off soon after the divorce. The new lady in his life, Diana, purges him of the toxicity that holds him back. Her connections grant him the interview of a lifetime, in which he earns the funding he needs, a multi-million dollar deal that finally gives him the life he promises Melinda. He is finally free to make his dream a reality. He is free from his emotional baggage.

Melinda's spiraling behavior is nothing short of offensive. From the moment she lays her gold digging eyes on Robert to their horrifying final confrontation, she only has one goal in mind: fortune and comfort. So lost in her dream that she loses all common sense. When the time comes for the consequences of her reckless actions, she never hesitates to blame another person: Robert, Diana, or her sisters.

Her bitterness drives her to the brink of her sanity. It costs her the very dream she spends half her life financing. Not even a free house and a ten million dollar check can quell her anger. It becomes her ultimate downfall.

The Bible warns time and again never to be driven by anger. Christ encourages us to forgive others as God forgave us. This is not only for the benefit of our transgressors but also for our own. Only through divine forgiveness are we able to live healthy and productive lives. There is so much good Melinda could have done with her small fortune, the kind of money of which most people dream. Let her be an example of the horrific consequences that bitterness can bring.