Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Micransix Crappy film

Usamah Harvey The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

sexynavy I wasn't sure what to expect but, this was a really great movie. I've never heard of it before. I was searching for movies to watch that I haven't seen and came across this. I'm glad I decided to watch as I did enjoy it. The storyline was good and kept me intrigued to watch the entire movie. Definitely a must see.

bjarias This is a surprisingly good film.. with a reasonable storyline.. good casting/ acting.. above average production values... and a music score that fits the overall tone/ setting of the film. All in all, this is well done movie-making .. above most all others in the genre. There are not many surprises, but all else works, so that all time spent is fairly solid entertainment. And a couple of moments are truly special.. her rendition of Blackbird near the end is spellbinding.. few could do it as well.. casting her was genius. And kudos to the camera and editing crews.. seconds can make or break a good film. For romantic dramas from this year, this has to be considered one of the best.

kolnoaMograbi Garbage. There was no grounds for the romance between Kaz and Noni. We see why she was drawn to him -- who wouldn't be? Such a stand-up guy -- but what in the world did he he see in an overwhelmed-by-fame-and-an-overbearing-mom pop sensation?First problem: editing. The opening scene shows a mom (Macy) watching her daughter enter a talent competition. Cut to second scene, where same mom is now managing a pop sensation. For all I knew, the child who had won 1st Runner Up in the talent contest is still a child, waiting at home for her entertainment agent mom. There is no clue that the pop sensation is the now-grown child. I still hadn't figured it out when Macy demands that Noni promise her she won't try suicide again. Give me on screen captions containing dates, years, something!The musical numbers are embarrassingly trashy. The only interesting thing was discovering that Minnie Driver is a Brit, as I'd only seen her in one other role, Return to Me (also a waste of time), where I seem to recall she played an American. She had me fooled. She also has begun to resemble Mary Tyler Moore.Don't waste your time.

Larry Silverstein After seeing Gugu Mbatha-Raw's performance in "Belle" recently and now viewing her rather dazzling screen charisma here, she would certainly seem to be a rising star.She gives a superb performance as Noni Jean, a skyrocketing musical talent, living the fairy tale life of a superstar, being followed everywhere by adoring fans and relentless paparazzi. However, despite all the glitz and glamor, deep inside Noni is quite depressed and unhappy.Her every move, both in her personal and professional life, is being controlled by her extremely domineering mother Macy. Minnie Driver is terrific in the role of Macy, being totally believable. Noni is so down that on the night she wins her first Billboard Award, she attempts suicide off of a hotel balcony, before being saved at the last minute by the police officer assigned for her security.Nate Parker is also excellent here as the principled police officer Kaz Nicol who saves her life. He's also dealing with a highly controlling parent (Danny Glover), with his father planning out his life so he'll eventually run for political office and have a career in that field.Noni and Kaz will begin to build a bond, but can these two souls living in two very different worlds overcome the pressures of their controlling parents, the media, and record companies to form a lasting relationship? Just a note for the viewers: there are a number of highly provocative and suggestive dance routines, from the first scenes onward, which have sexual connotations, plus one or two actual sex scenes in the film which are not explicit.The very talented filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees) ably handles the writing and direction here, and I really felt I got a vivid feel of what it's like to be a rising superstar in that environment.This is not a perfect film by any means, but the strong acting, appealing soundtrack, and a rousing and heart-felt finale win the day here.