14 years ago Gina Prince- Blythewood made young women everywhere fall for Love & Basketball. Now a staple, this was an all black cast with a classic love storyline and great actors. So for over a decade we've all been breathlessly waiting for Price-Blythewood to make us fall in love all over again. She's hit the mark with Beyond the Lights.
Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw best known for her portrayal of the aristocratic Belle,as Noni Jean and Nate Parker of Red Tails (and another Prince-Blythewood gem The Secret Life of Bees") as the handsome police officer Kaz. Beyond the Lights is a love story for 2014.
Honestly, Beyond the Lights reminds me of A Star is Born/The Bodyguard remixed with a Rihanna-esque starlet. However somehow it works. Minnie Driver was unexpected as the mom-ager from hell, but she is basically brilliant.
The love story begins when superstar in the making Noni who after winning an award for a duet with the hottest rapper in the game Kid Culprit (played by real life rapper Machine Gun Kelly) is poised to drop her own highly anticipated debut album. Instead of feeling on top of the world Noni is on a downward spiral until her knight and shining armor, Kaz literally saves her life.
Besides being a love story, Beyond the Light goes a but deeper as an expose on young women being groomed in the industry with a "face down, ass up" approach towards stardom. The story is as much about Noni finding her own voice as it is the couple finding happiness with each other. Speaking of finding her own voice, Mbatha-Raw finds her own as she actually sings in the film.
There are a some cheesy moments, like Kaz finding reasons to shirtless a lot for no apparent reason, but there is strong storyline and the subtle believable performances by the leads as well as Minnie Driver and Danny Glover more than make up for any eye rolling worthy moments.
Beyond the Lights hit theaters today November 14, 2014. Check it out, let me know what you think!
I give Beyond the Light 3.75 Stars #BOSSY Approved!
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