Double Platinum

I am a huge Diana Ross fan, and as such I was compelled to watch this movie just to see her. What I found, however, is that I actually FORGOT that I was watching Diana Ross and really began to believe that this person was Olivia King (her character), which to me is the sign of a good actor and script. The story concerns a wannabe singer who abandons her young child (played by Brandy) to pursue what becomes a Diana Ross level-of-success singing career.

As the film progresses, the two are reunited. What ensues are some extremely moving scenes between the two as Miss Ross attempts to gain her daughters forgiveness, respect and love by helping her with her own fledgling singing career and trying to be the mother she never had.

There are some great songs by both artists. Several of Brandy's biggest hits are featured, and Miss Ross performs some of her most enchanting music in years, particularly the ballad 'Someone That You Loved Before' and 'He Lives In You' (both featured on her album Every Day Is A New Day, which is well worth purchasing). An exclusive duet was written for the two stars by Diane Warren - Love Is All That Matters, and is featured as a duet in the film.

Both the DVD and video versions feature a promotional video clip by each artist.

It could have been Double Platinum. But the plot drags, the actresses who could be as good if they acted were busy being divas and it didn't quite reach the mark.

Still it was a nice feel good movie and if you are a sucker for happy endings, you'll be misty eyed when the credits roll.

Diana Ross received good notices for her work in Lady Sings the Blues, including approving comments from leading film critic Pauline Kael, and also from noted literary writer James Baldwin, one of the leading African-American writers of the 20th century. She also received an Academy Award nomination for that performance. Her performance as a woman suffering from a severe mental illness in the television film Out of Darkness received very good reviews in 1993, two decades after Lady. Her performance as a woman who sacrifices her family to achieve success as a singing star in Double Platinum was much awaited--Ross should have made many more films than she has and so her performances are highly anticipated. In Double Platinum, she presented a sensitive but determined woman, elegant, self-confident, tormented but disciplined, a believable success, a fascinating but mysterious personality. The film was not deep--it told us nothing we did not already know about family or success, but both Ross and Brandy had good singing and acting moments, doing the kind of work people who get more attention from the media--cover stories, award nominations--would be glad to do. Just as Ross had much success in the past, she now seems to have to fight a great deal of negative assumptions, an odd karmic reversal.

Expecting the worst I was actually pleasantly surprised at Double Platinum. Granted this won't win any Emmy's, it is a pleasant way to kill a couple of hours. Both Diana Ross and Brandy sing and act very well, and the score is excellent. There are worse ways to spend an evening.

Overall, it was a well told story. True, it's been done before (what story hasn't), but I still liked this spin on it. As Diana Ross wanted, we could all see she still looks wonderful, even though she has 5 grown kids. I had to laugh at the artfully placed ferns in the shower scene, though. The biggest negative was that Brandy was crying her eyes out every other scene. I felt like it detracted from the story by the end of the movie.