Review of Nappily Ever After (2018) by Sierra W — 22 Oct 2018

Nappily Ever After is a romantic comedy film that acknowledges the beauty within black womanhood directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour. The director was famous for being the first female director in Saudi Arabia. This movie is also based on the eight series of Nappily Ever After by Trisha R. Thomas. Nappily Ever After is a romance film that describes culture, femininity, hair, and acceptance. The main character in this movie is Sanaa Lathan as Violet. Sanaa Lathan is most known for the movie Love & Basketball. This movie is about a young black woman who lives up to perfection. Sanaa Lathan plays a perfect role because she's a strong actress that plays an uptight, conceited about the way she looks kind of girl. Forced upon this only by her mother. Derived as a child to look her most best especially with her hair. Violet has a perfect life with a husband for two years and she's very proficient in her career s a advertising executive. Since she was a child her mother Paulette (Lynn Whitfield) has always kept her up to par with her long straight hair.

This also meant that she couldn't have fun with the other children, like for example on a hot sunny day all the kids were swimming and she couldn't jump in all because of her hair. Eventually she betrayed her mother's words and immediately jumped in, when she went underwater and floated back to the top all the kids were pointing and laughing at her because of her enormously poofy thick hair. Then her perfect life takes a huge spin when her husband Clint (Ricky Whittle) doesn't propose to her on her birthday, instead his gift to her was a dog. Clint tells her that she basically doesn't deserve a ring because it feels like he doesn't know her since she's always perfect and never lets her hair down. He stated that it feels like he has been on a first date for two years. After going through the tough break up she decides it's time for a new look. Since her hair was starting to frizz up, her friend suggests her to visit the hair salon. However, the hairstylist makes a huge mistake with the conditioner and it turned out to be relaxer. Shockingly it caused her hair to fall out from being in too long. Violet makes a huge scene and started screaming at everyone who works in the salon. One night out with the girls she becomes intoxicated and decides to shave her head after all of the unusual hair attempts.

Due to the fact of her being tired of pretending to be someone she's not. Violet shows every emotion while watching her hair fall down. Some directors would have edited the scene to smaller proportions to show Violet going from a head full of hair to no hair at all, but instead Al-Mansour is not anxious and shows the full reveal. In addition to this, she cried in the bathroom at her job; a woman overheard her and invites her to her support group to help her overcome her troubles. With the inspiring words that was said in the support group she becomes confident with her new look. After shaving off all of her hair Violet states that she's sick of how much time is taken up with her hair, she said "it's like having a second full time job". Most women would relate that much of our identity is tied up with our hair. Even though Violet was trying to make the best out of her life her mother is very judgmental and wants her to always remain perfect. I believe that when parents try to construct their child's life, it affects them mentally.

Violet usually made ads about beauty and about how men wanted women appearances to be. Until she comes to conclusion that instead of using what men wanted she discovered an idea of using a campaign ad to use real women to recognize their internal and external beauty. Although she loses to a former co-worker about standard blonde women she's fed up, and so furious that she quits her job. Most TV shows, movies, and magazines feature caucasian women with long straight hair. Violet stated "I wish I had the courage to not care about what other people thought of me." After all the complications Violet and Will (Lyriq Bent) was meeting with her former company to advertise his hair products to motivate and inspire women to see their natural beauty within their hair.

Overall I give this movie four out of five stars because it could have showed more resemblance of black womanhood. Even though it reveals minor issues they could've simply used more major issues than just hair itself. The ending is not something the viewer would expect, one great suggestion is at the end they could've showed the progress of the hair products and showing different cultures worshipping their beauty within. This movie has great messages including the importance of self confidence.