BEYOND THE LIGHTS
US, 2014, 116 minutes, Colour.
Gugu Mbatha- Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Richard Colson Baker, Danny Glover.
Directed by Gina Prince- Blythewood.
In the early 1990s, The Bodyguard was a great commercial success, Kevin Costner playing the bodyguard to Whitney Houston’s celebrity singer. This lighter film is in the same vein.
Gugu Mbatha- Raw is a strong screen presence, from such films as Belle to Motherless Brooklyn. Here she portrays a young British woman, entered into competitions by her dominating mother (a powerful performance from Minnie Driver), achieving success in the UK, moving to the United States, so pressurised that she sits on the hotel room ledge – a suicide moment. However, she is rescued by the young policeman on guard, Nate Parker, and forced to face the press conference saying that it was just a drinking incident.
As might be expected, the film focuses on the bond between the young woman and the policeman, quiet and tender sequences, some tensions, their going away secretly on a holiday to Mexico, eventually discovered and returning to Los Angeles. There are difficulties with the music industry, the young woman wanting to sing her own songs, clashes again with her mother, her returning to England to perform – and the policeman following her.
The film was directed and written by Gina Prince- Blythewood, who had her breakthrough with Love and Basketball, directed The Secret Life of Bees and moved into action features with The Old Guard.
1. The title? Show business themes? In front of the lights? Behind the lights? Beyond?
2. The British origins of the story, Brixton, the poor family, mixed-race, at school, in the competition, the hair-do? The return to Britain at the end, life in London, Nina at home, the crowds, the performance, the romantic ending?
3. The action of the film in the United States? Hollywood? The music industry? Business? Performance? Public relations, promotion, photo shoots? Behind-the-scenes? Police work in Hollywood? The holiday in Mexico?
4. The film as a musical, the range of songs, lyrics, performance?
5. The introduction to Nina and her mother, the little girl with spectacles, the hair-do before the performance, her performance, runner-up prize, her mother throwing it away? The dominating presence, steel determination of her mother?
6. Years later, in the United States, her mother ever-present, dominating, demanding? Nina and her age, look, style? Performance? The fans? The public? The pressure? Going up to her room, on the ledge, Kaz on guard, entry, rescuing her? Her mother’s reaction? The press, the press conference, Kaz and his having to lie, the pressure from his father? The effect on each of them?
7. Kaz, his father, the police, the traditions, local politics, the Reverend and his entourage, vetting Kaz, the possibility of standing for office? Motivation?
8. Nina, the effect of being on the ledge, rescued, confronting her mother? The press, the photographers? The meeting with the executives, Liam and his hostility – and his later being ousted and outmanoeuvred? The demands for the album to go ahead?
9. Kaz, at work, going back to see Nina? Her wanting to get away? At the airport, eating the chicken, under the planes? The bonding between the two? Nina and her lack of self-confidence, her being pressurised for her life? Kaz being criticised by his father?
10. The issue of the plane, Kaz never on one, blindfolded, the experience?
11. The decision to go to Mexico, the drive, the bonding between the two, the relationship, intimacy, developing love? The enjoyment of free time in Mexico? Nina removing her hairpiece, her ordinary look? In the restaurant, the karaoke singing? Recognition?
12. Nina’s mother, arrival with the press, the video, the number of hits? Nina and her mother returning? The meeting with the executives? Her mother making strong demands? Nina and her and lyrics, wanting to sing them?
13. Kaz, back to work, Nina and the separation?
14. Nina’s clash with her mother, firing her, going back to England, the concert, her fans? Kaz arriving, her bringing him on stage, the final romantic ending?
15. The life of singing stars, parallels with actual stars in their lives? And the memories of The Bodyguard?
