Life Lessons You Can Learn from Tyler Perry’s “Temptation”

“The choices that you make are the choices that you have to live with in life. That is what the movie is about,” says Perry.

“Just because you are tempted doesn’t mean you have to give in.” That’s the message Tyler Perry wants to convey in his latest offering “Temptation,” which is an explosive romance about forbidden desires.

Written, produced and directed by Perry, “Temptation” is a movie  “about a woman who starts to get restless in her relationship and her choice to be with another man has a huge effect on the rest of her life,” says Perry.

Lance Gross and Jurnee Smollet-Bell in Tyler Perry's Temptation

Lance Gross and Jurnee Smollet-Bell in Tyler Perry’s Temptation

A film which marks a departure from his previous dramas, Perry’s heroine, Judith, played by Jurnee Smollet-Bell, is a small-town girl who comes from a devout, working class background. But for all her ambition, level-headedness and integrity succumbs to the temptations and vices of urban life, which arrive in the form of a charismatic billionaire named Harley Madison (Robbie Jones).

“This is definitely one of the most provocative movies – sexually and otherwise – that I’ve made,” says the director.  “This story is almost like a fable,” he adds. “It’s about how we always think the grass is greener on the other side and it doesn’t really turn out that way.”

Inspired by friends and acquaintances who Perry says were going through rough patches in their relationships, Perry says he wanted to make a movie about choices.

Kim Kardashian, left,  Jurnee Smollett-Bell, center left), Vanessa Williams and Robbie Jones on set

Kim Kardashian, left,  Jurnee Smollett-Bell, (center left), Vanessa Williams and Robbie Jones on set

“One bad decision can change your entire future and destiny and that’s why I wanted to tell the story. I want young people to really hear the message,” he says. “We all have choices to make. Be sure you’re making the right one as the choice you make today can affect you twenty years from now and when you’re young it’s hard to think that way.”

Robbie Jones and Jurnee Smollett-Bell on set of Tyler Perry's Temptation

Robbie Jones and Jurnee Smollett-Bell on set of Tyler Perry’s Temptation

Starring Lance Gross as Judith’s husband, Kim Kardashian and Brandy Norwood, Perry has selected a young cast with an influential fan base to hammer home his message of redemption.

“People pay attention to everything they are doing and because this message is so important to me, I chose the talented cast to take part in this film because it is a huge message to carry.”

Shot in four weeks at Tyler Perry Studios and on location in and around Atlanta, “Temptation” has a slow start with a strong finish and many of the scenes in the movie unfold with great dramatic power, even when they lack a credible narrative.

“The choices that you make are the choices that you have to live with in life. That is what the movie is about,” says Perry.

“Temptation” is currently out in theaters.

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Samantha Ofole-Prince is a journalist and movie critic who covers industry-specific news that includes television and film. She serves as the Entertainment Editor for Trendy Africa.

Photo credit: KC Bailey

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