Temptation makes you question if you're truly unhappy

Jurnee Smollett, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones, Brandy, Kim Kardashian, and Candice Coke are part of the cast of Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions of a marriage counselor.

A spoiler and sensitive topics (including domestic violence)warnings are in effect! If you like this, you can get more of my articles when you subscribe to my account.

Summary

We are made known of Judith's past through her cautionary story told as a marriage counselor to advise a woman seeking validation outside her marriage. We follow her on her journey under the guise of it being her sister's story and we learn her potential and actual consequences.

Takeaway

We get the story of Judith and Brice after learning about Lisa's feelings for Bradley. She said, "He's a good guy. He's consistent and loving. But I feel like we're roommates and not husband and wife." They are high school sweethearts. Bradley still loves her and asks what he needs to do after she says she believes that people change. She said she's not the same girl who was in love with him in high school.

Judith detects something and talks to Lisa alone. She realizes that Lisa met someone and she goes on saying, "…and he's showing you everything you've been missing. This new guy, he excites you. He buys you flowers and he, he tells you that you're beautiful. He says all the things that Brad doesn't." She tells Lisa that this doesn't matter to her and that she's not there to judge her but her honesty would help her get to the real issues for the counseling. She decides to tell her her story to help her out.

Harley asks her the age-old question, "Are you happy?" She quickly responds saying, "Yeah. Yeah, very happy. He's a great guy" despite looking like she's trying to convince herself. He says, "Good for you. Especially good for him. He's a lucky man, Judith" and to avoid things going further, she says they should continue working the next day. 

Things get much worse between them. Brice says, "I think I lost my wife." He also said that he didn't even know things were that bad but Melinda says, "Brice, sometimes we can get comfortable with people and that's what causes the problems. That's how it is." He said he didn't even know she was unhappy and Melinda said, "Well, she probably wasn't. Most times you're happy until somebody comes along and shows you something different." Brice says to her, "Maybe I did take her for granted." Melinda says that even if he did, this is still wrong and he can't take responsibility for what she did.

Ms. Waco joins the conversation and says, "You know she's met somebody that's making her look at life differently. Face it!" She also says that if a mob is fighting with bricks, you don't join unless you have one too after Brice asks what he should do.

Side-note

Harley is a scary individual. Why didn't her boss, Janice warn her well? Sometimes people warn in detail and other times they don't. Before Judith's trip with Harley, she warned her. She said, "Be nice. Be aware. Have fun. But most of all, be careful. I know you're a smart girl, but this is another league you're in. Trust me." After Judith officially got with Harley, she came to Janice to quit her job. Janice used this moment to warn her again. After a sigh of disappointment, she said, "Little girl, you have no idea what you are in for. But I wish you all the best with your struggle."

Before they fully get together, she visits him after talking to him at home. Harley tells her to leave his place after he is annoyed. She insults him and throws things at him but he laughs knowing she will be back. Brice tries to win her back. He goes to the club and begs her to come back. He says he would even forget this whole thing and apologizes but she said she felt dead with him and he is not a phenomenal man before apologizing for failing at loving him. 

Her mother thought she was taken by the devil and that this relationship would only lead to her demise. She said God is not pleased and that she's changing. She said to her, "Sweet baby, please stay. Please stay. You're not safe. I brought all the sisters here to pray for you. We need you to stay here." She says that she's in danger and that she should stay with them as she calls him 'Satan'. However, he yanks Judith from her mother letting her mother fall as they leave. 

His truly evil side shows after they leave and they argue. Thinking she was leaving, she said she would give him some space since "this really is not healthy". He says, "Judith, you know that I'm just crazy in love with you, okay?" before he beats her to prevent her escape. After figuring out, that Melinda's dangerous ex is Harley, Brice drives over to save her as he says to her, 'My wife is with him'.

He finds her battered and bruised in Harley's bathtub and she says, "Brice I knew you'd come" before saying she deserved the beating but Brice disagrees. She confesses that she was so mean to him and apologizes twice before asking about their relationship. She said, "You think we can fix it? we can fix it, right?" and he said 'we'll fix it." She said to him, "I hurt your heart." He puts her in the car before going back to beat Harley up but Melinda tells him to stop. Then we see her face him finally as he calls her real name, Karen before saying, "I knew you'd come back." Brice warns him to never come near them again. He protected them the way he felt was necessary utilizing violence as well.

Faves

Melinda

...

Judith and Brice are childhood friends and long-time lovers. They were from a Christian rural background and came to the city after they got married. After dinner, they encounter some men who are rude to Judith.

Judith felt Brice did not fight for her or protect her after one man in the group said, "Ooh, now that. That's a fine ass bitch right there." Feeling insulted and disgusted, she shouts at them as Brice tells her to get into the car. He asked her, "Why would you let these assholes ruin our night?" but she keeps going on about it as he drives off telling her to let it go but the guy calls her "common whore!" while she calls him a "stupid joker!". They talk about it when they get home after he asks why she's been quiet since dinner. He believes and expresses that some things have to be ignored. She expresses her concern and responds by saying, "Why can't I ignore the fact that I didn't feel safe?" He tries to reason with her and says, "Babe, those guys coulda had guns. We did the right thing" but she says she just doesn't like the way she feels. He tries to assure her and says, "Baby, I will always protect you. I'd die for you" but she's not satisfied with it as she says she wants to go to sleep. He ends it by saying he's sorry.

Meanwhile, Harley shouts at and wants to beat up the biker who she ran into. This is a drastic contrast to Brice. She was surprised by his reaction and kept trying to calm him as she said, 'You'll hurt him. Harley, wait, wait. No, No, Harley, I'm okay. I'm okay. Just let him go. Just walk away. I'm okay. Okay? I'm fine. I'm fine." This could be seen as pretentious to some because that's similar to the reaction she probably expected from Brice but it scared her. Protection is important but people express that in different ways. Harley prioritized revenge while Brice prioritized her safety but her preference is her's.

This along with the fact that he forgot her birthday as well as told her to put starting her own practice on hold but Harley didn't, aided the deterioration of their relationship. Even Judith's mum was annoyed he forgot her birthday for the second year in a row. She said, 'How you goin' forget her birthday? You need your ass whipped." Harley remembered her birthday and sent her flowers which she thought were from Brice as it made her day until it didn't. Harley encouraged her to start her own practice when Brice said it would be best to start in a couple of years maybe in 10 to 15 when they were solid. The unraveling of their relationship begins as she tries to hang onto the threads with a loose grip. Harley and Judith work together because 'he needs her'. He utilizes the chances to sow the seeds of doubt while praising, encouraging and arousing her to make her desire him in all areas of her life.

Judith says she doesn't believe in sex before marriage after Harley states that he noticed there were no questions about it in the questionnaire. For some reason, he is so interested in this statement which leads him to ask where she's from just like Ava did when they talked about fancy things and a degree.

After he says that means she's only ever been with one man, Judith confirms it while saying that she and her husband are very compatible. However, he responds to her by saying, 'How would you know how sexually compatible you are when you have nothing to compare it to?' She says she watches HBO and knows she's not missing anything. He unnecessarily informs her of his opinion by saying, "I just keep picturing this same old, boring, turn the lamp off, fluff the pillows, always in the bedroom kinda thing." She asks what's wrong with the bedroom and he says, 'That's unfortunate. If you were with another man, you'd know that sex should be random. Like animals. When it happens, it just happens. In the kitchen. In the shower. In the office. On a plane. On the floor." Then he asks her, "Are you getting turned on?" but she says "Ew! Please. You need to go home" before they get in the elevator to leave.

When she got home, she was determined and immediately went to Brice. She says to him, "Now, baby, baby, attack me!" Brice is confused especially since she didn't say anything as she arrived. She says, "Yeah. Like an animal" trying to experience what Harley said with him. After several more instructions, sounds and slapping, Brice says "Look, this is weird. We're not gonna do this. I'm gonna forget you did this, okay? Now, if you wanna growl at something, you can growl at this sandwich. After we finish eating, we can go in the bedroom and do this the right way. Okay?" He adds on, "We could fluff the pillows, turn off the lamps. You know, do it the way we always do.' which confirmed what Harley said and led her to look for him the next day. Brice wakes up before she leaves and says she knocked him out last night which she says she knows and he said, 'I didn't do my job too well, if you're already up and running." She shrugs this off saying she's just going for her regular run but watches for Harley while positioning herself to mistakenly interact with him.

Feeling defeated, Judith talks to Ava about Brice not remembering her birthday for the second year in a row despite trying to make it up to her with his guitar serenade. Ava tells her, "You are forgettable. Honey, you have to make a man remember you." She says this after saying she's tried to help her out and she did not want her help but Judith finally accepts her help. They do the obligatory makeover, however, all this happens before her trip with Harley.

Harley is a dangerous man camouflaging as a wounded lover boy. He is wealthy and lives an affluent life, unlike Brice. After Judith had vented about life, she said she would do her wifely duty to cook for Brice but he says he will take her out to dinner. She responds to him by saying, "That $1.99 buffet again, baby? Made my stomach hurt." He says, "No, I'm gonna take you somewhere nice and fancy."

She is unfamiliar with luxury items and experiences. We are made known about this severally such as in this moment, from her discussions with Ava, and from her reaction around Harley.

I was terrified for Melinda in the scene they showed of her heading to and arriving at her apartment. She locked the several locks on her apartment door with a baseball bat in hand and shuddered while looking around. Ms.Waco made it known that there was something strange going on. She says, "No, something's wrong with the girl."

We learn that Melinda is Harley's ex who he has still been searching for despite her escape from him. Melinda has HIV since Harley gave it to her and she was abused by him. She also changed her name from Karen to Melinda after she ran away.

However, Harley tells a different version of the story every time. He had asked why there were so many questions on past relationships on the questionnaire she created. Judith replies by saying, "Because you learn a lot about someone from their prior relationships. You learn patterns. You learn behaviours. You learn whether or not they play the victim role. Do they take full responsibility for their role in the breakup?" This is important because Harley blames his ex Karen for his heartbreak.

Harley said, "It's kinda sad to be able to buy whatever you want and have to beg for what you need." This is a good line but not necessarily true. He's a maniac who is exceedingly territorial. He continuously tells the tale of the girl from college he fell in love with but left him and that he can't rebound. As sad as it is Judith was warned by Janice and Harley, especially on the plane. Despite his framing of it and his sob story about his ex, warnings were given. Judith also tried to establish boundaries but then again she was on a trip with this man alone. Even though she wasn't fully happy with Brice, it was saddening to watch her consistently choose this man.

Lisa asks what happened to Judith and she says she's alive and the story's still being written. Judith got HIV but Brice didn't because they did not fix the relationship but they are cordial still as he told her "and if you ever need anything, I'm here for you, Judith." Lisa thanks Judith for sharing the story and she says, "I'm going to end this 'almost' affair and stay with my husband."

It was said early in the movie, "You see, love, for Judith, seemed to be different from other people. For her, it was all-consuming. It was breath to life." This informed us of her behaviour whenever she is in love. This told of her behaviour early on with Brice and with Harley as well as how it intoxicated her as it does many people. People in love handle it differently, some are more careless than others, some are more giving than others, some are more risky than others and we are made known of Judith's style early on before her marriage, affair and downfall.

This movie confronts the "the grass is greener on the other side" narrative and negates it with a cautionary tale. It is a great watch with great lessons.

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