BEAUTY
US, 2022, 95 minutes, Colour.
Gracie Marie Bradley, Aleyse Shannon, Niecy Nash, Giancarlo Esposito, Kyle Barry, Micheaal Ward, Sharon Stone.
Directed by Andrew Dosunmu.
In many ways, a strange enterprise. Judging by many of the comments, a number of viewers did not realise that this story was based on the actual story of Whitney Huston, her family, early years, her relationships, her agent and promotion, the beginning of her career. What made it even stranger is that the central character, Beauty (Gracie Marie Bradley) does not sing throughout the whole film.
The film introduces the family, Beauty and her two brothers, symbolically named Cain and Abel, Cain (Michael Ward), a half brother while Abel (Kyle Barry) is a full brother. Niecy Nash appears as the mother, a popular singer in her time, devoting himself to training her daughter in singing, style, preparing her for the time to launch her in a career. Giancarlo Esposito appears as the father, a most unpleasant character, dominating, mercenary, controlling. He is seen at his worst in forcing his daughter to sign a contract, in something her to his hospital bed to demand to cut from earnings, sending Cain out to destroy Beauties girlfriend-partner, Jasmine (Aleyse Shannon).
Which means that there is quite some melodrama in the establishing of the family.
The same time there is a focus on Beauty and her singing, especially in church where her mother is something of a celebrity, encouraged by the pastor, observed in a frowning way by her father.
There is also the focus on her relationship with Jasmine. This aspect of Whitney Huston is life and relationships, especially in the context of her marriage to Bobby Brown and the difficulties, is insinuated in some of the biographies but not emphasised. However, this is a key element, the relationship between the two young women, Jasmine and her place in the house and her being ousted, the relationship, the setting up of the apartment in New York City, Jasmine with her in auditions, tapings, in the dressing room at the final television show, Beauties first performance.
As a story of a young woman with strong ambitions, home difficulties, a propensity for continually smoking, seen in the context of all the changes in American society and culture in the 70s-80s, this film has some interest. However, the difficulty of never seeing the central character seeing is problematic for the drama.
Sharon Stone swaggers confidently through the role of the agent.
And, for those aware of the Whitney Huston biography, there is always the awareness of what happened, her career, celebrity, relationships, her death.
