Beyond the Lights

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.

Movies about big stars who suffer a crisis of conscience are not exactly rare, but not exactly standard fare either. My fave is PURE COUNTRY with George Strait, and I reviewed it for the IMDb.

What is rare is taking that formula and mixing it into a rom-com. That involves a degree of daring on the part of the producers -- and, no coincidence, there are about a dozen individuals listed as producers in this film. That folks is courage in numbers.

Even the length is daring. The flick runs almost two hours and these days only the largest production companies have the nerve, or the dollars, to go to full length.

But, as I said, nerve is something this film has plenty of.

Does it pay off? If you want me to tell you this is a polished gem, sorry, it is anything but.

But if you are looking for something memorable and entertaining, you have come to the right place.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw -- a name that is hard to forget -- really works the part. Her performance raises this film far above the current IMDb rating. (She is helped by EXTRAORDINRY H&M,ie, hair & makeup, which in turn makes the transition from regular person to Rap Star all that much more startling).

Minnie Driver, usually a standout, is lost here. In fact, pretty much everyone plays second fiddle to Gugu Mbatha-Raw, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, that is precisely why I recommend the film.

This movie from start to finish was nothing short of amazing. Very here and now. Very real. Gugu and Nate Parker gives an exceptional performance in their roles. Even though I come from a very different life than Noni, I could relate to her feelings of not being seen or heard. I found myself feeling sorry for Noni, but wanting her so desperately to rise above all of it and find her own voice and embrace herself. I so appreciate how Gugu caused me as the viewer to feel every scene as if I am right there. I hope she continues to make great films. She was amazing in "Belle" and she surely did not disappoint in this one. Great job cast, writers, directors and producers of this film! I definitely plan to add this one to my video library when it comes out on DVD.

I had never heard of this movie before a colleague recommended it and even then, had no intention of watching it. I was bored and watched it and MY OH MY was I pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I thought it would be a cheesy movie but the story and actors were extremely believable. The addition of realistic award show backdrops added to the current condition of the music industry psyche. Soundtrack was lovely and I enjoyed hearing a current Amel Larrieux jam during such a touching scene. (Sidenote: Check out Ice Cream Every Day for more Amel gems!)

I HIGHLY recommend this movie to anyone interested in a combination of a love story and music. And if this helps, I wouldn't describe this as a chick flick at all - it has a universal appeal to anyone who stays current with the industry and knows how it can steal souls.

My feelings on this are basically just like every other person who saw it. It does have some biting, realistic insight into just how cruel and harsh the entertainment industry is, but the romance and the narrative are quite predictable. I probably actually enjoyed it more than my rating, but it's just way too formulaic and it's a shame when it started off better and it could've just been something more. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is really the best thing about it, delivering her all and giving even her most cliché of scenes life and passion. She's very charismatic and has a very strong screen presence, I hope she gets more roles after this because she would certainly deserve it.