Sparkle (DVD REVIEW)
Sparkle
DVD Review by Kam Williams
Whitney Houston Shines as Overprotective Mom in Remake of Modern 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 charismatic 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 Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Director’s commentary; A Tribute to Whitney Houston; A Dream Come True; and more.
To see a trailer for Sparkle, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBXGhbpMMrw
No comments:
Post a Comment