by Karyn L. Beach

Tyler Perry is back with his third feature film. It's the first that doesn't feature Madea. Daddy's Little Girls is a love story told on two levels - a father in love with his three daughters as well as the standard romance between a man and a woman.

Monty (Idris Elba) is a hard working mechanic saving up to buy the shop he works in from his boss Willie (Lou Gossett Jr.). When he finds out that his former mother-in-law is dying of cancer, he becomes (at her request) the primary caregiver for his three little girls (real-life sisters Sierra Aylina McClain, Lauryn Alisa McClain, China Anne McClain). The fact that the children's grandmother would rather have them with their father instead of with her own daughter speaks volumes about the mother, Jennifer (Tasha Smith) who lives with her drug-dealing boyfriend. Together they run their own little neighborhood drug dynasty. When Jennifer decides she wants custody of her daughters, it isn't out of a desire to be a good mother but more out of the desire to show up Monty. Enter Julia, a workaholic attorney who ends up taking Monty's case. Despite their differences, the high-powered lawyer finds herself falling for the mechanic who moonlights as a limo driver. Her friends (Terri J. Vaughn and Tracee Ellis Ross) object vehemently, but the heart wants what it wants.

The thing that bothered me most about Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Madea's Family Reunion is that they were so busy. It's as if Perry tried to cram several different movies into one. As a result, a lot of subplots got shortchanged and the main plot suffered from a lot of distractions. Here, Perry tells one story and tells it well. The film benefits greatly from his focus.

Idris Elba shines as Monty, a man who is a devoted father and basically a good guy who's been caught in some bad situations. He has an intensity and strength that fills the screen. Union provided a good contrast to Elba and you could easily see why despite their differences, she'd end up falling for him.

Daddy's Little Girls does have its humorous moments; Julia has some particularly bad blind dates. However, those moments aren't so over-the-top that they take away from the overall story. If there was any point that strained credibility, it was the thankless role of Jennifer. She is a mother without a shred of maternal instinct.

I really enjoyed Daddy's Little Girls. It's a sweet romance without ever becoming sappy or saccharin. And I didn't miss Madea, not even once.