NINA

US, 2016, 90 minutes, Colour.
Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo, Ronald Guttman, Mike Epps, Keith David, Ella Joyce, Jessica Oyelowo, Ella Thomas.
Directed by Cynthia Mort.

This is a portrait, rather than a biography, of famed singer Nina Simone. While there are biographical elements, especially in the introduction to the young Nina, her piano playing, her stance about segregation of her parents in the concert hall, her singing in clubs, her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, the action moves to the mid 1990s with Nina Simone living in France.

Which means that a lot of detail of is omitted. For those interested in other aspects of Nina Simone’s life and career, the 2015 documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? is recommended. It is made up of archival material, audio and visual, many performance sequences as well as interviews.

This film shows Nina and her ego, and not looking after herself physically, her need for surgery, yet her drinking and smoking, her alienation from family and friends, living in a kind of exile in France because she feels that America betrayed her and her activities fighting for Civil Rights.

In this film, after some internment in an institution in the United States, she persuades one of the nurses, Clifton Henderson (David Oyelowlo) to come to France to look after her. She is erratic, won’t eat, won’t follow his advice, so he leaves. In fact, she follows him to his home in Chicago, amazing his parents, performing in a club and then appointing a Clifton as her manager.

Clifton was with her in the last years of her life, trying to get her bookings, putting up with people hanging up on him, getting her to do some exercise, to go through the surgery and, with the help of a previous agent, she performs a concert in New York’s Central Park.

It should be noted that Zoe Saldana sings all the Nina Simone songs in the film.

Slighter than expected, a brief portrait.

1. A portrait of Nina Simone? Her life, her career, her reputation, social concerns, personal life, problems? Audience knowledge of her and her work?

2. The 1940s and North Carolina, the piano performance, segregation and racism? The 1960s? Performances, civil rights, Martin Luther King, songs? Continuing into the 1970s? The interspersing of the interview in France in the 1970s? France, her retirement, the 1990s, Nice, the mansion? The visits to the United States, Chicago, Central Park concert? The performances in French restaurants and cabarets?

3. The use of Nina Simone’s songs, as sung by Zoe Saldana? Trained as a classical pianist, her performances at the piano?

4. The structure of the film: introduction to Nina as a young girl, the piano, the strength of mind about her parents’ sitting place, performing in cabaret in the 60s? The move to 1995, Nina in the 90s, her physical and psychological condition, money issues, her manager, pulling the gun, her being interned, Clifton looking after her, advising her to leave, her invitation to him to come to France with her?

5. Clifton, working in the hospital, concerned? The sudden invitation, his going with her to France, carrying the luggage, through passport control, the mansion? His concern as a nurse and her medication? The drinking, not eating? The smoking? Her tantrums? His patience? The performances, her angers with the crowd? Her not following his advice and his packing to leave? His return home to his family in Chicago?

6. Nina, the strong reputation, her many recordings, the compositions? The experience of segregation and its effect on her, on being a black woman, on fears, on freedom? Her relationships, her daughter, the recording of her daughter singing, her listening to it and singing along? The Civil Rights movement, her involvement, her wanting to get a gun at the death of Martin Luther King? Being urged to do what she did? Singing, campaigning? The feeling betrayed by America and her leaving for France? His success in Europe?

7. Her personal decline, arrogance, self-absorbed? Yet her performances, love of performing? Relationship with the bands? With her manager, the arguments, the issue of money, hiding money under the bed? Her going to Chicago, the unexpected visit to Clifton’s family, the response, the records? The restaurant, her singing? Saying that Clifton was her manager, his return with her?

8. Clifton trying to be a manager, the phone calls and everybody hanging up? Small possibilities? His going to see Henri? The warning? The plan about Central Park? The concert, the acclaim?

9. Clifton answering the phone to the doctor, learning about the need for surgery, her leaving it till late, going to hospital, Clifton as nurse and comforter? Her recovery? The exercise, power walking in the street? Her stubbornness?

10. The sequence of her ringing Richard Pryor, the images of his comedy career, his physical decline?

11. The studio, Clifton helping her, her performance?

12. The film as a portrait rather than as a biography?