Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Halle Berry deserved recognition for the recreation of a Hollywood legend. It was interesting to watch her character's relationship with her agent played beautifully by Brent Spiner who is known for his role as an android in Star Trek, the Next Generation. I liked watching him so much that I have a crush on him now. It was sad that Dorothy did not realize that true love was underneath her all those years by her agent, Earl Mills. He helped her and truly loved her. I don't know if he was gay or just too obvious. Halle Berry really struts her acting abilities in this role. She makes us understand Dorothy's painful life. The violation by her own family to see if she was still a virgin after dating the Nicholas brothers. She was more than just an actress, she was truly an entertainer who deserved more. She puts a feet in the swimming pool and the hotel drains it because of her race. It was kind of hard not to be saddened by the racism of the past and what Dorothy did to endure.

This was a really good movie. I really hadnt heard of Dorothy until after this movie came out. She really was a wonderful actress and if only she had been born 20 years later she would have been as big as Audrey, Grace and the rest. I thought Halle Berry did a good job bringing Dorothy back to life. That shot of her on Life magazine is just amazing. I can't believe how much they look alike. Great performances by all and Berry better be getting an Emmy for her peformance next year. She deserves it.

Haile Berry is radiant in the title role. An excellent job is done of separating the woman from the myth. Klaus Maria Brandauer is quite memorable in a key supporting role. Brent Spiner is also good. But, Berry's tour-de-force performance is the reason to watch this made-for-HBO biographical feature.

It is not often that one has the opportunity to take in such a movie. After her night club career took off, Dandridge eventually found her way to Hollywood where she appeared in the movie version of George Gershwin's famous opera, Porgy and Bess. Next she co-starred with up-and-coming singer Harry Belafonte in the fascinating Carmen Jones. Such talent is rare indeed. Indeed, it is rare to find such a talent.

This movie is all about Halle Berry - to look at it from any other point of view would be to overlook the most powerful force in the movie. Berry is brilliant in her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge - her acting is flawless and we witness the greatness of Dandrige and exprience the pain of her downfall with Halle Berry as our guide. What a tremendous coincedence that Halle Berry would play the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Academy Award when she herself would later become the first African-american woman to actually receive the prestegious award! She is supported by a strong cast which all help to make this a movie to remember. 7/10

Admittedly, it's probably unfair to call Dorothy Dandridge unknown, as I've just done in the title. She was, after all nominated for an Academy Award and had a fairly long resume of parts, even if the majority of them were small ones. Many probably know her. I, however, aside from this movie, have no knowledge of her whatsoever. I've never seen any of her movies and was not familiar with the name until I came across this bio-pic. The title of this movie would seem to suggest that I'm not alone - she has to be introduced to us, after all. And - what an introduction!

Halle Berry was absolutely perfect in this role. To me, she became the character with all the right moves and all the right emotions and presented a fascinating portrait of her subject. I find it hard to believe that so much was introduced in a little under two hours. Dandridge's problematic relationships (especially her relationship with the great director Otto Preminger) were interesting; her troubled upbringing being abused by whoever "Auntie" was supposed to be to the family was sad; her devotion to her mentally retarded daughter; the subtle look at the reality of racism in the era (she dips her toes in a hotel swimming pool, and the pool has to be drained and scrubbed as a result); her growing drug and alcohol dependence; her ultimate tragic death. In some respects she's portrayed as a black Marilyn Monroe, who does pop up from time to time in this movie. You would think that trying to show so much in so little time would lead to a shallow presentation, but it didn't. The movie leaves you wanting more, but not because it hasn't given you a lot.

The secondary characters were also interesting: from Dandridge's first husband (Obba Babatunde) - who is captivated by her beauty but can't agree with her on what they want out of life, to her manager Earl Mills (Brent Spiner) - who quietly falls in love with her, to Preminger (Klaus Maria Brandauer) - who also seems to love her, but who finally turns away from her, possibly because she wanted more of a commitment than he wanted to give or perhaps because he felt that creating personal distance between them would help him to further her career.

I'm shocked that this movie doesn't have a higher rating here. I think this was absolutely marvellous. 10/10