User reviews

Lena Waite TV/Movie projects are usually well constructed with exceptional direction, timing and great dialogue but this movie takes the viewer into several sporadic directions down a rabbit hole.

Anyone who says this isn't a Whitney esq bio clearly is unaware of the Whitney story out of the mainstream. It feels like Lena was trying to attempt a quentin tarantino thing ... like he did with Once upon a time in Hollywood, giving us a truthful story with a fictional twist.

I can also understand a viewers aversion to the no singing approach. Which again was a stylistic choice, in a way to show us other singers and the culture of the time and how that in tow was her voice. The influences.

And the direction has a theatrical theme but never goes deep enough into the characters to ever engage with them, feel them and therefor care for them.

But what I struggled with most is... how is this from the same writer that gave us Queen and Slim!!!!!

I thought the story had potential and the actors were fairly good. If, at least, writers, producers and director had any idea on how to make a movie the end result could have been quite good. See, a movie about a singer with no songs, a movie about love without any shows of affection (no, no need for sex; a simple kiss would suffice) an, above all, a series of scenes that do not start, end or connect to each other cannot result in anything viewable. Like the scene where the girl disappears in a dark alley with some guy and next we see the singer by her bed... where? Was that a hospital? I saw the whole movie because, as I mentioned, the actors were good.

What is a music film about a singer where the principal character NEVER SINGS? Very sporadic, choppy, misdirected piece that never fully invests in the characters, no development of any kind, no idea of the trials and tribulations that made her what built up. A bunch of ra ra hype with absolutely no hype. What was the point? Where did this all come from? The saddest thing is the comparisons with Whitney Houstons story, the tight Christian Family, a hidden addiction problem, a secret lesbian affair, an eventual bad boy intervention. Waste of Giancarlo, Nicey, Sharon, the young talent smh. When there are so many great scripts and talent not cultivated in the movie industry yet waste of films like this can be greenlighted? There's a mad problem!

I am confused by the idea of a film where the protagonist is an up and coming singer whom we never hear sing.

I spent the entire runtime trying to figure out what the director was trying to say by structuring the movie the way it was and have come up short.

Arguably one of the least engaging movies I've seen to date.

A movie about a young singer you actually never hear sing. I found it boring as you never to really know the characters or feel sympathy for any of them. Don't waste your time watch something else.

This was a total waste of time! I guess the reason that I watched was because it had Niecy Nash Sharon stone and Giancarlo Esposito. The story line was hella weak and the cinematography was awful.

AND WHY DID SHE NEVER SING??? I.

This really could have been the definitive "Whitney Houston" movie, but sadly it only focuses on one tiny aspect of the singer's life. The estate is still very protective of Whitney's image so I understand the difficulty in bringing the true story to screen. All that said, this film does a great job telling an unauthorized fictional version. Good writing, good cast, production design, and direction. It actually covers a good portion of her family dynamic considering the short time allotted. However, It's a terrible shame that we couldn't get any music whatsoever from the popstar. Not even a soundtrack of original music. For a movie about an amazing singer, she should have sang at least one song. Terrible. Because of that, it suffers from a lack of energy and therefore the picture isn't balanced. It's just kind of one note which really sucks because this could have been an amazing biopic. Authorized or not. But what we get is a fine family drama with loose ends.

Like others said she NEVER sings!! All she does is fight with her family, hangout with her girlfriend (lover), smoke weed and cigarettes and watch music videos of famous black singers. Ugh, Don't waste you time!

Who's idea was it to not have her ever sing. Instead rely of real vintage footage at filler. Lazy filmmaking by the director/producer. What a disappointment, not only to viewers but to the great seasoned actors who put their faith on the script. Someone was overconfident. I feel for all the actors and the writer, because the flop is nowhere near their fault. I kept hoping we'd have her big shining moment. Just once, and the world stays quiet while she sings. I guess they thought they could get away with it being an artistic choice, but it failed miserably. Too bad.

I appreciated this film. The acting was superb. Sure the script was a little under developed, but I kind of expected that come in when I took a look at the run time. I actually thought the movie did a good job at making 85 minutes feel like 120. Have we lost our appetite to be teased...a little seduction, and some really intense moments for me. "We're having dinner," "what do you mean make her go away," "tender love," "that's because you haven't seen me naked yet," "I want my cut," "everyone but you." I was thoroughly entertained, and amused...every movie doesn't have to be the Godfather for me to enjoy it.

This wasn't a biopic in the traditional sense of such stories. If you are looking at it from that genre, you will be very disappointed. I think the writer and production were trying to focus on the story of a talent going into the entertainment business and the changes for her, her family, and friends. Yes, it is very familiar to a life story we know well, but it is not about the talent, the voice, or the legend. We already know that part well. But what about the struggles that person faces with impending notoriety (i.e. R&b v. Pop star, traditional "good" church girl v. Alternative lifestyle, well-spoken v. Urban). The acting was good with what the actors had to work with. Photography was excellent. However, the plot and characters needed to be fill out more. And, the pacing was off in the build up to the end of one era for the singer and moving on to the next. I loved the interspersed video of singing legends, which more than made up for any musical accompaniment from the actors.

No singing, really?

Are you serious?

NOT ONE SONG?

A film about an up and coming singer without ANY ACTUAL MUSIC?

What genius came up with this concept?

Ugh... there are no words, truly no words for how ridiculous this is.

Please do not waste your time watching this movie.. The whole movie all she did was watch other people sing.. We NEVER got to her her voice & the ending was bad too.

The movie sequences were discombobulated. The plot, writing, dialogue was soooo bad that I had to fast forward through some of it. It was a about a singer who never sang.

At first I thought it was a Blaxploitation movie from the 70's until I saw 2022 release in the movie details. My guess is that Neicy Nash and Giancarlos Esposito did this movie for free to help out a friend.

This movie wasn't even laughably bad, it was just pathetic bad.

Seems like they tried for this movie to be Whitney H. With the same family problems and Christian background. Can I just hear her sing just one time...,please, but no! It's really sad to see great actors in a sorry movie.

Great try by Lena, could have been executed better but was shot during covid. Overall I liked the concept and the cinematic tones and shots. Thanks for sharing this story with us.

How do you create a movie about a young gifted singer and the singer never sings throughout the whole movie? You never hear the alleged gifted voice! This movie could have been so much more. It's like watching a murder mystery and they never show the murder occur. The issue between the singer and father was the most dramatic part.