More pressing for Wesley is that his business is in some trouble, his mother Willimena (Phylicia Rashad) is always in his ass, his brother Walter is a loutish, jealous, angry drunk… and those are his good points… and then there’s his fiancée Natalie (Gabrielle Union), while arguably the hottest woman in San Francisco, doesn’t seem all that crazy about this impending marriage.

This could be why the janitor who’s having her kid sleep in the cleaning supply room fascinates him so.  I guess.  I’m still wondering why she has a job to be honest with you.  But apparently, according to Wesley, it’s her penchant for speaking her mind that has him so intrigued and why he’s so desperate to rescue her.  I guess.  Or because as far as janitors go, I’m thinking it doesn’t get much better than that, plus she’ll be suitably appreciative of anything you do for her.  I don’t know if that was the message or not, but that’s kind of what I got.  Or maybe she’s a project like his mother said.  Love will flourish.  I guess.

Anytime Tyler Perry makes a movie without his foul-mouthed alter ego Madea around, he’s always taking a chance.  Madea has a built in audience who knows what they’re getting, this being broadly drawn characters, slapstick Madea humor, and a narrative which will brow beat you into submission with its overwrought message.  These Madea-free dramas are a little different, and in regards to ‘Good Deeds’ we appreciate not having to fiddle with Madea, we appreciate that there is at least a little more subtlety to the characters that Perry has created for us and we also appreciate that whatever message this film is delivering to us is a little more esoteric than what we are used to from the writer /director / producer /star.

So why did we miss Madea in this one?  That would be because the movie is so subdued and gray.  All the characters in this movie were depressed, sad, and drab… particularly Wesley Deeds.  Surely something must’ve been okay in Wesley’s life before he met the hot janitor and the cute kid.  He’s still sleeping with Gabrielle Union, he’s still rich, he still drives a Porsche, and he still lives in San Francisco, which I’m told is greatest place on the planet if you have some money, and Wes has some money.  There must be something in that mix that can bring a man some joy.  Brian White does the best he can to liven things up a little, playing a slight variation of the asshole he usually plays in movies, and while the characters aren’t as broad, they are still one-note characters.  Thandie Newton’s Lindsey receives the benefit playing the most complex, textured character in the movie, and her performance was a good one despite the fact the she and Tyler Perry have almost no chemistry together.  Still, in regards to her character, shouldn’t the army take better care of their war widows?  I’m just throwing that out there.

The movie itself, on the whole, is firmly mediocre.  It offers very few surprises, it follows a familiar predictable path, and has a plethora of solid, dependable actors playing roles they are very comfortable with.  Gabrielle Union as a detached beauty, Phylicia Rashad as a stern matriarch, Brian White as an asshole of course… and they do it well.  I’ve always been a fan of Tyler Perry the man, of what he’s been able to accomplish and of his success, but I’ve never been a fan of his movies.  The thing is, despite what I’ve said, and of the movies of his I’ve seen and I’ve seen a few… ‘Good Deeds’ still might be his best one.