Phat Girlz is the type of film that you wonder why Hollywood even bothers to make it. Its not going to make much money, so the box office intake can be slashed off. It has a terrible plot and a lead star that cannot act or deliver effective comedy even if her life depended on it. Viewing Phat Girlz is painful and when you do laugh, you are laughing at how ridiculous its turning out to be. If you do not end up laughing in Phat Girlz, than you will cry because of the torture you are being put through.
This film is written and directed by Nnegest Likké. Its her debut in filmmaking and unfortunately for her, it looks like her debut is the end for her as well. The screenplay is horrendous from the incredibly stale dialogue to the unrealistic sequences that occur. Phat Girlz is predictable in its message straight from its plot. This film wants to prove that even if you are fat or obese, you need to love yourself before you can love someone else. One has to wonder though, how can you love yourself if you don't even take care of your own body?
As human beings, everyone has flaws, but in order to accept yourself for who you are, you always have to improve in those flaws. The main problem with the majority of the world is insecurity. With natural physical and emotional changes to improve yourself as a human being is what must be done. Phat Girlz tackles some of these issues and tries to send out a message, but what its also sending out is jealousy. Fat girls will always want to be thinner because they can look better, feel better and be healthier.
Mo'Nique who plays Jazmin Biltmore in this film is obese, shes beyond fat. She eats a lot, but always dreams of being thin and this film is very stereotypical of fat girls. At the same time of trying to show that fat girls can get love as well, its also showing that fat girls do indeed eat more than the normal amount. There is a scene involving Mo'Nique taking all kinds of food in a buffet restaurant. She takes an excessive amount and this alone couldn't be far from the truth. Sure, there are overweight people that eat too much and thats how they got they way they are, but there also overweight people who eat normally, but just the wrong types of food.
Many things this film shows is far from the truth and can be offensive to some, all while not being neither funny nor entertaining. Its flaw after flaw with Phat Girlz and another one is when a few men from Nigeria choose Jazmin and her fat friend over a girl that is beautiful and in shape. This is what you would call "over the top". Its okay to like heavier women, but the facial remarks and words that come out of these mens mouths are ridiculous. What Phat Girlz seems to not understand is that there is a difference between painfully thin and slim, but healthy. The girl that the men don't choose is definitely the latter.
Even with all of this, on the side Mo'Nique is a aspiring plus size fashion designer. If Phat Girlz had focus on this subject rather than Mo'Nique in a desperation for sex than Phat Girlz could have been better, but instead its silly, offensive, inaccurate and instead of sending a message its giving mixed signals. Nothing in this film stands out and nothing is memorable. This film proves that some people can be as far away from a bull's-eye as they can be, and not even know it.
Phat Girlz is an abysmal motion picture. This is a film that hurts with every glance you take of it, it has no redeeming values. I doubt this will give any overweight women some motivation. I honestly think this film won't give anyone any strong feelings, if anything this film will make people feel shameful for spending their hard earned money on this junk. Phat Girlz is simply dead on arrival, there is nothing worth seeing here and thats why this is one of the worst films of the year.
