Posted: 02/27/2012

The Marriage Chronicles

by Caress Thirus

It’s no secret that a solid marriage is hard to find these days. What exactly does it take to prove that a marriage is long-term material? Dr. Jailen Masters (Jazmin Lewis) is a marriage counselor who goes the extra mile to help her clients. Every year, she welcomes three ailing couples into her home for a marriage retreat. This year, it’s the Jones’s, The Jackson’s, and the Anson’s.

David Jones (Darren Dewitt Henson) and his wife Sabel (Caryn Ward) are having money problems. She’s a powerful, independent woman who married David after her ex-husband’s death, and he’s a man with a secret who just wants to try to live a new life with his wife and son.

The Jacksons, who have presumably married the longest, undoubtedly love each other; however, Mr. Jackson (Billy Sly Williams) is very old-fashioned, and his wife (Terri J. Vaughn) is excited about the fact that her children are almost grown, wanting to embrace a new side of herself that her husband doesn’t fully approve of.

The Ansons have a communication problem. Daniel Anson (Ayo Sorells) is convinced that he and his wife of one year are still on their honeymoon, but Marcia (Persia White) just wishes he would grow up, listen to her, and stop treating their marriage like a game.

Dr. Masters’ methods are unusual, but effective in showing what areas of each marriage need help, and ultimately in proving whose relationships will last, and whose won’t.

The film is a little over-acted at times; sometimes it feels like the actors think they’re in a stage play. The over-exaggerated gestures and southern accents that the Jackson’s display are horrendous, but their humorous banter makes up for it.

There are also a few scenes that seemed unrelated, and should probably have been cut.

The Marriage Chronicles is the kind of movie that would probably be screened at the retreat like the one in the film. Each couple displays good chemistry (be it positive or negative), and the shocking close makes the entire film worth watching. Overall, The Marriage Chronicles is a pretty solid film.

Caress Thirus Caress Thirus is a film lover from Chicago, IL. A recent graduate of Roosevelt University, she enjoys indie films, foreign films, and clever psychological thrillers.

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