Woman, Thou Art Loosed

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Woman, Thou Art Loosed ★★½ 2004 (R)

Critics may have been divided on this pic's merits but female audiences gave it strong word-of-mouth support. Based on the self-help novel by charismatic Bishop T.D. Jakes (who plays himself), “Woman” follows the lifelong misfortunes of Michelle (a ferocious Elise), a young black victim of poverty, rape, drug addiction, and eventual imprisonment for murder. The flashback structure of the story (Jakes offers a compassionate ear as Michelle tells her story) is somewhat distracting, but Foster's script offers multi-dimensional characters even if it's a little self-conscious. 99m/C DVD . Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, Debbi (Deborah) Morgan, Michael Boatman, Clifton Powell, Sean Blakemore, Ricky Harris; D: Michael A. Schultz; C: Reinhart Pesche.