Sparkle (FILM REVIEW)
Sparkle
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Singing Siblings Seek Fame and Fortune in Remake of Musical Morality Play
Emma Anderson (Whitney Houston) didn’t
want her daughters to follow in her footsteps by having babies as teenagers while
squandering their future in the futile pursuit of celebrity and bad boys who wouldn’t
treat them like ladies. That’s why the overprotective single-mom feels
fortunate to be able to raise them in a middle-class suburb of Detroit where she keeps them on the straight
and narrow path via a steady diet of Christianity and high expectations.
All three siblings have inherited
the ability to sing from their mother, a blessing they put to good use for the
Lord in the church choir every Sunday. However, each girl also has her own
distinctive personality yearning to express itself.
Brainy Dolores (Tika Sumpter) has her mind set on attending Meharry
School of Medicine. Self-effacing Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) is a gifted
composer who’s too shy to perform any of her heartfelt ballads in public. But seductive
Sister (Carmen Ejogo) is just the opposite, being a confident extrovert who craves
the limelight and the attention of men.
Consequently,
it’s no surprise that Sister might rebel and run away from home, rather than
abide by her mother’s restrictive house rules. She’s only been back in town for
two months, but already has a couple of suitors competing for her hand, Levi
(Omari Hardwick), a penniless, perfect gentleman, and Satin (Mike Epps), a flashy,
silky smooth operator.
Given
Sister’s materialistic nature, it’s easy to guess that that she would opt to
entertain the overtures of the latter, a misogynist with a dark side yet to
reveal itself. Meanwhile, Sparkle starts dating Stix (Derek Luke) who
encourages the talented sisters to form a trio and take a shot at superstardom.
So
unfolds Sparkle, a modern morality play with a sobering message made all the
more telling by serving as Whitney Houston’s cinematic farewell. Several of the
late pop diva’s lines in the movie induce goose bumps, such as when she matter of
factly asks, “Was my life not enough of a cautionary tale for you?”
The
film features standout performances by Whitney and Carmen Ejogo, with Derek
Luke and Mike Epps appearing at their best as well. Jordin Sparks certainly
holds her own when called upon to sing, but she comes across in this big screen
debut as not quite ready to handle a title role, at least acting-wise.
Written
and directed by the husband-wife team of Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil,
respectively, Sparkle is very loosely based on the 1976 musical of the same
name, with the point of departure, the timeline, plot developments, and the
score being tweaked for the overhaul, and all for the better. A must-see,
between Whitney’s sentimental Swan Song and Carmen’s coming out party.
Excellent
(3.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence, profanity, drug use, smoking, mature themes
and domestic abuse.
Running time: 116 minutes
Distributor: Sony
Pictures
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