Tyler Perry’s Temptation
Stars: Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Vanessa Williams, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones, Brandy Norwood, Kim Kardashian
The prolific Tyler Perry mines the depths of love, marriage and betrayal in his new film, Temptation. The lovely Jurnee Smollett-Bell plays Judith, a disaffected married woman whose husband (Lance Gross) is not as attentive as she would like. So when a smooth-talking young billionaire named Harley (Robbie Jones) begins to woo her, it’s not too difficult to get her attention. Harley seems to be a borderline sexual predator, or maybe he’s just a confident man who’s accustomed to things going in his favor, but you certainly get the sense that the chase is a foregone conclusion for him. Strong performances buoy Perry’s foray into serious subject matter, but he couldn’t resist adding a touch of comedy with Kim Kardashian’s character. Big ups to Perry for his irrepressible optimism in making this casting decision. –p.d. lee
