Pain and loss is part of life. It reminds us about our reality and brings us out from our fantasies. Everyone reacts differently to pain. Some go through pain and loss unscathed while some go through it and become broken beyond repairs.
Our community today has begun to show cracks caused by decades of shoved down pain and loss. It has piled up for so long that it has begun to spill into the society itself, the structure, the people and the new upcoming generations. The rot is spreading already hence why we see that humanity is dying as mercy and compassion are being smothered away.
Tyler Perry bought back a little of my attention with this movie, Straw. Sometime ago, I'd made up my mind to not watch any of Tyler Perry's work anymore because he has lost his substance, and quality. To be honest, I'd lost hope in him and the thought of him coming back with amazing and unfiltered work seem impossible to me. However, he proved me wrong!
Straw 2025 is a movie that was distributed by Netflix. It is a psychological crime drama film that was written, produced, and directed by Tyler Perry. It starred Taraji P. Henson, Gabby Jackson, Sherri Shepherd, Teyana Taylor, Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Ashley Versher, Mike Merrill and Glynn Turman.
The storyline of Straw, revolves around Janiyah Wiltkinson. She is a single mother that lives in a dilapidated apartment with her frequently ill daughter, Aria. The movie begins by introducing both of them to us. Janiyah was preparing Aria for school. We got to see their living conditions, from the scene one could denote that Janiyah is a struggling single mother, with a daughter that has a medical condition.
Afterwards, Janiyah took her daughter to school. On their way to her car, her landlady reminds her about her overdued rent payment. She pleaded with her landlady to give till the end of the day. In the car, Aria told her mother that her teacher told her that she can't afford lunch. Janiyah promised her to bring it to her before lunch. She dropped off her daughter and then went to clock in for work at a grocery store.
However, things took a turn for the worse, when she was called from school that her daughter had sustained injuries and her presence was required. Janiyah’s unsympathetic boss, Richard didn't want to let her go to her daughter's school but in the end he allowed her to leave. A lot of events happened while Janiyah rushed to her daughter’s school that led to quite some intense things Janiyah went through. Overall her day went from bad to worse in a space of hours. What happens in the end?
Tyler Perry's Straw is a film that feels and looks raw, unfiltered and not sugarcoated. It is a movie whereby the plot reflects what happens when life gives one lemon, when the system meant to meet your needs steals from you, and when nature herself turns her back on you takes away the most valuable thing you holds dear. This movie mirrors what happens basically in our society today on a daily basis to different people. It mirrors how life can be so unfair to some people while it favours others.
I understand that some percentage of the viewers that didn't like this movie because it portrays the reality we all live in today which keeps getting worse everyday. They felt it was too raw, exhausting, melancholy or not pretty but it is what happens around us all. Also, I feel they are not ready to face reality and prefer to continue to live in the filtered version of the world they have built in their heads. Some even went as far to say that this movie is unrealistic which means they were watching this movie in the cocoon of their luxury.
Perry did a fantastic job with the movie. The writing is amazing and very relatable. It almost feels like someone sat down with him and told their story for him to put out there. I like his narrative and descriptive technique. He wrote this story from the perspective of Janiyah. We were able to feel every emotion, every panic, every tension before a decision was made. Janiyah’s character practically bleeds throughout the whole movie. We were able to see first hand how one can snap when pushed to the wall.
Perry explored some powerful themes (Poverty, economic inequality, trauma, desperation, single Motherhood, mental health and community compassion) in this movie and honestly, I love that he did. He wrote this movie as a reality check in case you're living in a fantasy world you have built for yourself because of fear of facing the realities of life.
The cast was okay, but Taraji was the best out of all the performances of each other character. She was a strong, authentic and an amazing lead. Her performance was commanding. She held the spotlight from the beginning to the end of the movie. Her performance stuck with me. However, Teyana Taylor’s performance was averagely okay, in some scenes didn't seem genuine to me.
Rating this movie, I will give it 8 out 10 stars. I guess Tyler Perry is back from his midlife crisis sabbatical. This was the Perry we knew back then. If you are not ready to face the reality of the world and life, don't bother watching this movie. It might be too overwhelming for you.
All images above are from the movie screenshots
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