Tyler Perry's 'The Single Moms Club': Movie review

Starring Nia Long, Amy Smart and Tyler Perry himself, the movie has some solid comedic gold amid all that treacle.

The mother of All Tyler Perry flicks: Zulay Henao, Cocoa Brown and Nia Long star in ‘The Single Moms Club.’ Title: 'The Single Moms Club' Film Info: With Nia Long, Amy Smart, Tyler Perry Five struggling single mothers from diverse backgrounds find comfort in each others' company. Director: Tyler Perry. (1:51). PG-13: Sexuality, language. Area theaters. No one ever accused Tyler Perry of being subtle, and his newest film, "The Single Moms Club," has all the big emotions we've come to expect from his values-heavy melodramas. But if you can make your way past all the treacle — and the preposterous dialogue — you'll some comedic performances that are undeniably good. Schoolyard shenanigans at an Atlanta prep school brings a diverse group of women to the principal's office. Their kids were caught smoking, so as a ham-handed way of kickstarting the story, the women are tasked with organizing a dance and fundraiser. The moms are an eclectic lot. Jan (Wendi McLendon-Covey, from "Reno 911") is a stern, all-business type trying to make partner at her publishing company. In one of the film's many coincidences, she recently turned down a manuscript from May (Nia Long) for being "too black." Jan's best friend is the newly divorced and very overwhelmed Hillary (Amy Smart), who can no longer afford her nanny. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/review-single-moms-club-mother-melodramas-article-1.1722125#ixzz2w8JVSbUb

Nia Long makes a connection in ‘The Single 

                                                                                    Moms Club

.'Then there's Esperanza (Zulay Henao), who wants to take her new boyfriend more seriously but is afraid she'll lose the financial support of her ex-husband. Lastly there's Lytia (Cocoa Brown), a straight-talking waitress and mother of five whose youngest earned a scholarship to the exclusive school.

The relationship between snobby Jan and struggling Lytia is a nice mix of comedy and genuine race/class tension. The woes of the other women, though, are just a mush of soap opera cliches.

The hard-working single-mother empowerment theme eventually takes a backseat as the women help each other find new men. Meanwhile, the roundrobin of chance meetings becomes increasingly ludicrous, as is writer-director-coproducer Perry's casting of himself as the most appealing of Prince Charmings. (Terry Crewes, though, is amusing as Lytia's beau.)

The final scenes tidy themselves up ridiculously in a shockingly brusque "let's wrap it up" finish. But this is a film about catharsis and camaraderie, not logic. For some, that — and a chance to see characters the movies often ignore — will be enough to join the club.

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