What's the point of a Aretha biopic anyway?

midiscover said:

What's the point of a Aretha biopic anyway?

Cause she's the Queen of Soul and she deserves one.

sosgemini said:

Marrk said:

Dunno. What would they do? put Halle in a fat-suit Martin Lawrence style?

Halle Berry will do anything for an Oscar nomination. I'm sure she'd gain weight.

The real problem there is she's not really that great an actress in the first place.

She's pretty and a competant actress, but not a really outstanding one.

Maybe a great director can coax a mindblowing performance from her, but if it's Tyler Perry? No, just no..

musicjunky318 said:

midiscover said:

What's the point of a Aretha biopic anyway?

Cause she's the Queen of Soul and she deserves one.

She'll probably get one when she's dead. Like most famous people.

Goin on about it whilst living strikes of a vanity project. As does badgering Halle.

musicjunky318 said:

As a sidenote....It was too bad Berry didn't get nominated this year for Frankie and Alice. She was still a crackhead but it was a great movie. And at least she didn't screw anybody on camera like she did for that mess that shall not be named.

Why do people hate on her performance in that mess that shall not be named *cough* Monster.

I think it's because she was all the way naked and getting freaky with Billy Bob. We don't like to see our black beauty queens simulating fucking some ugly white dude on screen. Honestly the only criticism I've ever heard about that film was the sex scene.

Marrk said:

sosgemini said:

Halle Berry will do anything for an Oscar nomination. I'm sure she'd gain weight.

The real problem there is she's not really that great an actress in the first place.

She's pretty and a competant actress, but not a really outstanding one.

Maybe a great director can coax a mindblowing performance from her, but if it's Tyler Perry? No, just no..

I disagree with your opinion. Yes, she can give crappy performances but so can Jack Nicholson (he was panned in that new Reese movie), Meryl Streep (horrible in Doubt) and even the master Laurence Olivier (Clash of the Titans anyone?). The difference is that Halle seems to elicit big-time hate from people both black and white. It would make a fascinating case study.

sosgemini said:

Marrk said:

The real problem there is she's not really that great an actress in the first place.

She's pretty and a competant actress, but not a really outstanding one.

Maybe a great director can coax a mindblowing performance from her, but if it's Tyler Perry? No, just no..

I disagree with your opinion. Yes, she can give crappy performances but so can Jack Nicholson (he was panned in that new Reese movie), Meryl Streep (horrible in Doubt) and even the master Laurence Olivier (Clash of the Titans anyone?). The difference is that Halle seems to elicit big-time hate from people both black and white. It would make a fascinating case study.

That would be an awesome thread. You must start it!!!

sosgemini said:

Marrk said:

The real problem there is she's not really that great an actress in the first place.

She's pretty and a competant actress, but not a really outstanding one.

Maybe a great director can coax a mindblowing performance from her, but if it's Tyler Perry? No, just no..

I disagree with your opinion. Yes, she can give crappy performances but so can Jack Nicholson (he was panned in that new Reese movie),

Well, Jack is long past his best to be fair. 'Cuckoos nest' was what? 1975? The Shining? 1980. Jack is Jack these days, BUT he's a three-time oscar winner for a reason. He is/was a fine actor. Depending on the director or his relative interest in the project he can turn it out. Look at Scorcese's 'The Departed'. He was brilliant in that.

Halle really has nothing performance-wise to compare to these heavyweights you listed. Naming Olivier's most unserious movie (and it was a cameo only) is akin to me listing 'Catwoman' as a measuring stick for Halle. Ridiculous and unfair.

musicjunky318 said:

midiscover said:

What's the point of a Aretha biopic anyway?

Cause she's the Queen of Soul and she deserves one.

lol no.

midiscover said:

musicjunky318 said:

Cause she's the Queen of Soul and she deserves one.

lol no.

Anyone can see the second hour free everyday of the week.

Fat woman past her best sat in KFC.

Not starring Halle Berry.

Marrk said:

midiscover said:

lol no.

Anyone can see the second hour free everyday of the week.

Fat woman past her best sat in KFC.

Not starring Halle Berry.

My thoughts exactly!

Aretha needs to be realistic. Not only don't Halle and her look anything alike, but I don't think Halle can pull this off. You need someone with more attitude and a stronger presence. Halle for the most part always come across as weak to me in her movies. I just don't see her doing Aretha justice.

Cinnamon234 said:

Aretha needs to be realistic. Not only don't Halle and her look anything alike, but I don't think Halle can pull this off. You need someone with more attitude and a stronger presence. Halle for the most part always come across as weak to me in her movies. I just don't see her doing Aretha justice.

I agree with this. Her portrayal of Storm in X-Men was such a joke.

It should of gone to Angela Bassett.

Cinnamon234 said:

Aretha needs to be realistic. Not only don't Halle and her look anything alike, but I don't think Halle can pull this off. You need someone with more attitude and a stronger presence. Halle for the most part always come across as weak to me in her movies. I just don't see her doing Aretha justice.

musicjunky318 said:

Cinnamon234 said:

Aretha needs to be realistic. Not only don't Halle and her look anything alike, but I don't think Halle can pull this off. You need someone with more attitude and a stronger presence. Halle for the most part always come across as weak to me in her movies. I just don't see her doing Aretha justice.

I agree with this. Her portrayal of Storm in X-Men was such a joke.

It should of gone to Angela Bassett.

No.

Consider the source.

If Halle was too old for the character of Storm, i'm pretty sure Angela was.

Marrk said:

musicjunky318 said:

I agree with this. Her portrayal of Storm in X-Men was such a joke.

It should of gone to Angela Bassett.

No.

Consider the source.

If Halle was too old for the character of Storm, i'm pretty sure Angela was.

I wasn't talking about age I was talking about depth.

There are actors damn near 30 that portray teenagers all the time that pull it off. It doesn't always matter.

musicjunky318 said:

Marrk said:

No.

Consider the source.

If Halle was too old for the character of Storm, i'm pretty sure Angela was.

I wasn't talking about age I was talking about depth.

There are actors damn near 30 that portray teenagers all the time that pull it off. It doesn't always matter.

that's true. stacy dash(?) was in her late 20s when she was playing a 15-year old alongside the 19-year old alicia silverstone in clueless. she still looks like she's in her 30s, not 40s.

but back to the matter at hand. even in her youth, aretha was not as thin and pretty as halle, and halle does not have that sort of detroit by way of the south done come up the hard way about her. whatever struggles she's had i think probably pale in comparison to aretha's, so she wouldn't have enough to draw on.

Enough with biopics. A feature lenth documentary is much better and more absorbing I feel.

vainandy said:

Why not just hold auditions for unknown actresses to play her? Why does every film have to be made by some major accomplished star these days? I'm sure they could find someone that looks more like her that way and also give a new actress a break into show business at the same time.

[img:$uid]http://www.markijlal.com/images/roll-of-money.jpg[/img:$uid]

if j-hud can play the role of umama- Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, then she can def. play the role of aretha.

sosgemini said:

Marrk said:

Dunno. What would they do? put Halle in a fat-suit Martin Lawrence style?

Halle Berry will do anything for an Oscar nomination. I'm sure she'd gain weight.

I don't think so...she's a diabetic and gaining the weight then losing it would put a strain on her health. She'd have to do a fat suit as Marrk suggested.

missfee said:

sosgemini said:

Halle Berry will do anything for an Oscar nomination. I'm sure she'd gain weight.

I don't think so...she's a diabetic and gaining the weight then losing it would put a strain on her health. She'd have to do a fat suit as Marrk suggested.

Wouldn't be the first time. Either Matt Damon or the guy who played John Lennon's assasin risked diabetic complications due to weight gain. And neither seemed as obsessed as Berry with proving their credibility.

I gotta give Berry credit. She is dismissed by many for her talent yet she keeps on fighting to prove her worth. Some would think that attribute resembles Aunt ReRe's fight. And if beauty's Charlize Theron, Marian Coltarte and Nicole Kidman could use make-up or a weight gain to pull off Oscar wins, well I'd like to tell all the naysayers on this forum to STFU and let the artist prove their worth for a change...

...just saying.

musicjunky318 said:

Cinnamon234 said:

Aretha needs to be realistic. Not only don't Halle and her look anything alike, but I don't think Halle can pull this off. You need someone with more attitude and a stronger presence. Halle for the most part always come across as weak to me in her movies. I just don't see her doing Aretha justice.

I agree with this. Her portrayal of Storm in X-Men was such a joke.

It should of gone to Angela Bassett.

YES! Oh my gosh, yes. I was so disappointed when they picked Halle. She looked nothing like Storm, just like she doesn't look like Aretha now. At least she's more wise this time.

It shouldn't be about who LOOKS like Aretha. It needs to be about who can PORTRAY ARETHA IN A MOVIE. You can find anyone who looks like her, but if they don't have the presence and demeanor of Ms Franklin, it's useless.

In a biopic, the actor/actress needs to look similar to the person being portrayed, as well as be proficient in their job. Even if the person chosen is a fantastic actor/actress, if he/she doesn't resemble the star he/she is playing in some obvious way, the film is usually a failure. Just compare "Malcom X" to "The Little Richard Story," or "Ali" to "Lady Sings The Blues."

vainandy said:

Why not just hold auditions for unknown actresses to play her? Why does every film have to be made by some major accomplished star these days? I'm sure they could find someone that looks more like her that way and also give a new actress a break into show business at the same time.

Thank you.

Whenever they do a Britney biopic they should get this girl. I think she nails it.

WaterInYourBath said:

In a biopic, the actor/actress needs to look similar to the person being portrayed, as well as be proficient in their job. Even if the person chosen is a fantastic actor/actress, if he/she doesn't resemble the star he/she is playing in some obvious way, the film is usually a failure. Just compare "Malcom X" to "The Little Richard Story," or "Ali" to "Lady Sings The Blues."

Wait, wasn't "Lady" a hit? Diana got an Oscar nod from that lol other than that she hardly looked like Billie and the movie wasn't really a Billie biopic anyway. It was a Diana movie with Billie's actions (heroin usage, jazz music, the flower on her hair) but with Diana's voice, Diana's performance moves (the arms flailing up after she gets to the end), etc. I'm still surprised Motown got away with that when they knew full damn well that the film wasn't close to how Billie really was. It was Disney-ized as someone put it.

The so-called movie: ARETHA: FROM THESE ROOTS, will be whack if it ever reaches the light of day due to the fact that Miss Franklin insists on having executive control.

She should use her 60 million nest egg to finance this if she wants to run things, same as her never-get-off-the-ground record label, Aretha Records.

Her book, that she and her minions re-wrote after David Ritz turned in the original galleys, is pure trash - it is not a good read and very empty on detail and sequence.

The movie, she wants it to follow the book.

Everyone has good, bad and ugly in their life. Aretha Franklin's being in denial about most things, will make this movie be a 'wtf' moment.

Halle Berry, is an absolute no-no for the role, and that would be period!

Timmy84 said:

WaterInYourBath said:

In a biopic, the actor/actress needs to look similar to the person being portrayed, as well as be proficient in their job. Even if the person chosen is a fantastic actor/actress, if he/she doesn't resemble the star he/she is playing in some obvious way, the film is usually a failure. Just compare "Malcom X" to "The Little Richard Story," or "Ali" to "Lady Sings The Blues."

Wait, wasn't "Lady" a hit? Diana got an Oscar nod from that lol other than that she hardly looked like Billie and the movie wasn't really a Billie biopic anyway. It was a Diana movie with Billie's actions (heroin usage, jazz music, the flower on her hair) but with Diana's voice, Diana's performance moves (the arms flailing up after she gets to the end), etc. I'm still surprised Motown got away with that when they knew full damn well that the film wasn't close to how Billie really was. It was Disney-ized as someone put it.

Per what some older people have told me in the past, almost everyone hated that Diana Ross was chosen to play Billie Holiday, similar to how folks didn't understand her being chosen for "The Wiz." I figured it was only popular with those who didn't know she was supposed to be Holiday in the film, lol.