Daddy's Little Girls 2007

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Dismissed by critics but embraced by African-American audiences, Tyler Perry now opens his pictures without press previews, but on the basis of this expert melodrama he might want to reconsider. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: Given his built-in appeal, Perry has the opportunity to broaden the subject matter of so-called black movies. He takes a stab at it in Girls, but he could do so much better. Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Tyler Perry likes preaching to the choir. Read more

Nathan Rabin, AV Club: While its look at interclass romance among African-Americans and the struggles of a working-class single father is fresh and vital, the heavy-handed execution isn't. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: In terms of direction, this is the sharpest film Perry has made. It moves at a deft pace, and the comedic sequences continually score. He also knows how to create a mood. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: [Union and Elba] are such expressive, extremely thoughtful performers. They have chemistry and they have class. What they don't have is a filmmaker who knows yet how to use either to make real movie magic. I'm rooting for him to figure it out. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: It is exciting to think that someone in Perry's position is indeed challenging himself, as he could presumably coast along on tried-and-true formulas for quite some time. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: It makes you happy to receive the Word of Perry. Read more

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: Daddy's Little Girls is [Perry's] best-looking film to date. Is it asking too much for a script to match? Read more

Chuck Wilson, L.A. Weekly: Perry has great casting instincts, and in Elba and Union he's matched two gifted, equally gorgeous actors, both of whom seem ready to make sparks fly. If only their director would let them. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: This particular Tyler Perry movie offers some glimpses of the graceful comic talent its one-man entertainment empire can be if he turns down the volume more often. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Subtlety has never been Perry's strength, but his previous films balanced the sermonizing with good humor and sincerity. Perhaps next time, he'll ease up on the lectures, and bring back the love. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Perry will never get an Oscar nomination, but he has something better: an audience. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: [Perry's] gotten comfortable behind the camera. And without Madea, his obese, smart-mouthed alter-ego auntie, to portray, the man in the dress shows he really can direct. Read more

Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail: The lead actors make Perry's didacticism easier to take. Read more

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Suffice to say that everybody in this totally TV-tempered, finger-waggingly reactionary movie learns a valuable lesson in getting back to basics. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Time Out: Love can transcend class lines; in Tyler Perry's universe, it also defies all rules of the legal system -- and logic. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Perry gets better at directing every time he tries. Read more

Jim Ridley, Village Voice: Come back, Madea, and bring your chainsaw. Read more