"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" can't figure out what kind of movie it wants to be. At times, its melodramatic story lines appear to have been taken directly from a daytime soap opera. At others, it's filled with shrill, madcap antics that could have come from a UPN sitcom.

Which is not to say that a film can't have a blend of comedy and drama. But the blend doesn't work when they're both done to ridiculous extremes, as they are here.

"Diary" is a dreadful showcase for actress Kimberly Elise, who has impressed in other films, most notably last year's remake of "The Manchurian Candidate." She stars as Helen McCarter, a pampered Atlanta housewife.

Helen seems to have it all, including a perfect marriage to wealthy attorney Charles McCarter (Steve Harris). However, he throws Helen for a loop when he kicks her out of the house and moves his mistress in.

With nowhere to go, Helen moves in with her estranged, gun-packing, fast-talking Aunt Madea (Tyler Perry, in one of three roles), who encourages her to go on with her life — including taking a chance with Orlando (Shemar Moore), a hunky steel-plant worker with a heart of gold.

To say that this material is predictable is an understatement. Director Darren Grant and screenwriter Perry (who adapted one of his "Madea" plays here) also throw in treacly sentiments by the bucketload.

As unconvincing as the dramatic aspects of the story are, they're nothing compared to the painful, supposed comic bits, most featuring Perry in drag. About the only people who will find them funny are those eagerly anticipating "Big Momma's House 2."

As for Elise, her performance is very tentative. It's as if she's not sure whether her character is supposed to be likable at all, and her chemistry with both Moore and Harris is non-existent.

Still, the primary irritant here is Perry, whose performance is the cinematic equivalent of listening to fingernails scrape a chalkboard for two hours.

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" is rated PG-13 for violence (some slapstick, as well as a shooting), drug content (talk of drug-dealing and some pot smoking), scattered use of strong profanity, and use of some crude slang terms, as well as a flatulence gag. Running time: 116 minutes.

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