REVIEW: RESPECT

4/5

A.R.E.T.H.A.

145 Mins. Starring: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess & Mary J. Blige. Director: Liesl Tommy. 

To be Franklin, check the credits in closing over a picture of Jesus behind this Queen. All as she sings 'Amazing Grace' from the church to save wretches like me in the pulpits. Everybody of the congregation in concert and the 1972 live album of the same name that became Ms. Franklin's bestselling. A "cherished entertainer" that sold out concerts well into her 70's and had Barack and Michelle Obama feeling the Holy Ghost and giving her standing ovations at the 'Tapestry' of a Carol King tribute, as the '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' legend gave it up for another who was paying tribute to her on stage. Dropping her fur coat to the floor as the Queen of soul belted out all her natural power for King. An 18 time Grammy winner who became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her story becoming HERstory. The youngest person to ever be chosen for the Kennedy Center Honors at 52. And of course in 2005 a recipient of America's highest civil award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Singing 'My Country, 'Tis Of Thee' at the 2008 inauguration of President Barack Obama. Calling it, "the promise of tomorrow now coming to pass". After her death she was posthumously honoured with a Pulitzer. The charitable activist and champion of social justice's lifetime achievements are so honor roll long they could have gone in a separate movie like the live version documentary of 'Amazing Grace' that was recently released as if from the heavens. In loving memory of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Louise Franklin. March 25, 1992-August 16, 2018.

IMAX eyes. The biggest voice deserves the biggest screen like a blockbuster. But this isn't a Marvel movie. It's a movie about a marvel. In all her majesty and magic. And this tick, tick...BOOM dynamite directorial debut from Broadway's Liesl Tommy with an eye for the biopic deserves the biggest cinematic presence. The 'Homecoming' of Beyoncé? Close, but how about instead the 'Dreamgirl' that stole the show and beat Bey to the Oscar? Miss Jennifer Hudson. 'The Color Purple' theatrical actress, moviestar and singer can expect another Academy Award to go next to her Grammy's and Golden Globe's. The power of her performance is phenomenal. She's not just playing Aretha, she is the Queen, no daydream. Thinking about her there 'Ain't No Way' like the way they use this song in Will Smith's 'Ali' anybody else could have played Miss Franklin. Give her the Best award like 'King Richard' for service. Hudson doesn't just do the numbers, powerful voice, for powerful voice. She also catches her tone and the timbre of her life and love. The high notes and the low points. The rich success after covering others for years. The iconic stance under the spotlight, her microphone a torch that led the way in the civil rights era like her good friend Martin. And the heartbreaking tribute, punctuated by pain she gave him in vocal eulogy after the King was taken from us in Memphis. The divorce, desperation and drink. Those three demon D's that Adele sang about last week when she turned '30' in. The only voice apart from Jennifer's these days that even comes close to Franklin. And we're talking about the kind of ballpark that needs a homer to even round it. Jennifer steps up to the plate and hits it all forever in the best biopic since Jamie in 'Ray' or everything and everyone the late, great '42' of 'Marshall' Chadwick Boseman played, getting up on some James Brown soul. Put this next to Renée Zellwegger's 'Judy' as worthy of the award and so much more in legacy honoring a legend. One moment in this film this burgeoning star is compared to Garland. Now everybody is giving her, her flowers. So it's high time to throw them towards Hudson's stage too as she opens another envelope like us this Christmas. 

With respect to the rest of this movies cast, they are more than just backing singers. Just like the title track of this movie is more than just an Otis Redding cover sitting on the dock of the bay as Aretha remade it as her own. What you want, baby she had it. More than just a little bit. And how about seeing how that cover was created? Re, re, re. And now in this 'Black Nativity' reunion with Forest Whitaker coming to the Far East of Japan this Christmas after its August United States rush, we can see just how much Forest has in his acting woods. One of the greatest black actors of not just his generation, but all time. More than his famous 'Empire' like J-Hud is too. This is the 'Ghost Dog' that showed us his way of the Samurai. The man that has played both 'Bird' and 'The Last King Of Scotland'. 'The Butler' who went all the way to Wakanda in 'Black Panther'. One of the most underrated legends of our time. But here he is undeniable. As Forest's father, a preacher with a daughter is all love, rough around the edges as he disciplines and controls with an iron fist, but is coming from a place of love. He just needs to really see his place and the own one his own can take by her self. On her perfected path. No matter how tough the street. Whitaker captures these character conflictions with conviction. All whilst trying to keep at bay the interests of the charming, but shady Marlon Wayans suitor. The comedy actor turning in the dramatic stakes like he did so well last year for Sofia Coppola's third times the charm Bill Murray reunion after (the reason I'm in Japan) 'Lost In Translation' and 'A Very Murray Christmas' (If say is it too early to watch this again, but August quickly became late November), 'On The Rocks'. One of last years hidden gems, going down smoothly in an all too rough year, we know about all too well. It's the 'Master Class' of 'Porgy and Bess' actress Audra McDonald that really has a presence throughout however, for some moving mothering with shades of 'Ray'. Whilst Marc Maron of the 'Joker' gets a few laughs in amongst the serious negotiations as the stand-up talent who makes music and podcasts increases his range, delivering these vocals to that studio sound. Even the star of 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt', the most hilarious detergent commercials and every other meme Tituss Burgess shows there is so much more to his soul than people using his reactions as their Internet one. Add the Queen of modern R&B and Netflix's 'Mudbound' and 'The Umbrella Academy' Mary J. Blige adding underused, but more unmistakable drama, flipping tables as the Queen Dinah Washington and 'This Bitter Earth' like haunting scores with Max Richter for the scales of Scorsese's 'Shutter Island' with DiCaprio will have some wise words. But it's time we all have 'Respect' and find out what this movie and its muse means to me. To every boy and girl around the world. Sock it to me. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Further Filming: 'Judy', 'Ray', 'Dreamgirls'.