Respect hits theaters on Aug. 13.
When Jennifer Hudson auditioned for Season 3 of American Idol, singing Aretha Franklin’s “Share Your Love With Me,” she had no idea that song choice would lead to her meeting the Queen of Soul herself. After Hudson was eliminated from the competition, Franklin personally tapped the young singer as her opening act, requested her vocal prowess at multiple tributes, and chose Hudson to portray the legend herself in a biopic. Now that Respect has finally hit the big screen, it’s not hard to see why Franklin saw Hudson as the perfect person to portray her story. The Oscar winner stuns with an almost identical vigor, attitude, and regality befitting a queen -- so don’t be surprised if she nabs her second Academy Award for this.
Directed and written by Liesl Tommy (co-written with Tracey Scott Wilson, with the story by Callie Khouri), Respect has the subtle nuance, grace, and vulnerability that benefits greatly from a female vantage point. These women take us inside of Franklin’s most formative moments: from when she discovered her gift for singing as a child, to the unimaginable loss of her beloved mother, to the emotionally abusive spaces taken up by the most prominent male figures of her life, particularly her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker), and her longtime husband/collaborator, Ted White (Marlon Wayans). All of this plays out on the screen while Franklin battles her inner demons whenever her spirit was unable to handle all of the emotional turmoil.
This stellar cast doesn’t have one weak link, which shouldn’t be a surprise as it’s composed mostly of Tony winners and nominees, ranging from the spectacular Audra McDonald as Barbara Franklin to Tituss Burgess as Reverend James Cleveland. The all-too-brief appearance by Mary J. Blige is laced with concern and off-color humor as she brings Dinah Washington to life with a wonderfully fierce energy. When Washington lays into an adoring Aretha for being shady while attempting to sing one of her tunes, quipping “church folks are some of the nastiest folks you will ever meet,” it rang true on multiple levels, and Blige’s delivery made me laugh out loud. Meanwhile, Marc Maron brings so many layers to his role as Jerry Wexler that you could swear you were watching the real thing. Tommy even makes a heartfelt and lovely appearance as an excited fan who praises Franklin for making music that resonated with her.
But the highlight, of course, is Hudson. As a former music industry publicist, I can tell you that Franklin did not suffer fools gladly. With a smile on her face and a soft-spoken charm, Franklin could cut you like a knife, and you wouldn’t even know you were bleeding. Hudson completely nails this balance, even down to her Mae West-esque sashay. It’s no doubt a lot of pressure to play the Queen of Soul and perform some of her greatest hits, but you wouldn’t know it by watching Hudson’s expert portrayal.
Gorgeous performances of songs like “Ain’t No Way” alongside Saycon Sengbloh and Hailey Kilgore, her rendition of “Precious Lord,” and of course that historic over 10-minute version of “Amazing Grace” are all enhanced by arrangements from Oscar-nominated composer Kris Bowers. In particular, “Precious Lord” took my breath away, placing me right back into the numerous homegoing services I attended as a child. Hudson’s vulnerability is endearing, as are those moments when she battles demons from time to time, making us realize that the crown she wore might have been a little too heavy.
All of this is brought to life by production designer Ina Mayhew, costume designer Clint Ramos, makeup department head Stevie Martin, and hair department head Lawrence Davis, who all exhibit a tasteful, exquisite attention to detail.
Having said all of that, Respect plays more like a musical than a biopic, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying every performance. Some sequences could’ve been a little shorter and at times, Hudson sounds more like herself than Franklin -- but at the end of the day, there really is only one Queen of Soul. This film does exactly what the title suggests: it dutifully pays respect to one of the greatest artists of our time.
from IGN Reviews https://ift.tt/3mfotTZ
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