Simply A Masterpiece

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

There's something hypnotic about Gugu Mbatha-Raw's performance as Noni in Beyond the Lights. Her facial expressions are emotive without exaggeration. Subtle, yet powerful. Scared but brave. Maybe it is Gina Prince-Bythewood's direction-she turned a young Sanaa Lathan into a rugged tomboy who seemed every bit as tough, insecure, and compassionate as the moment required. Maybe it is the collaborative skills of Gina and Gugu that make this movie so unique. Whatever it is, it is undoubtedly the performances that carry a relatively basic story of a talented young girl with a tiger mom (played ferociously by Minnie Driver) that drives her to attempt suicide, only to be saved by a local police officer. It is the setup for a tired Cinderella trope, but Beyond the Lights is anything but. Beyond the Lights is as vibrant and refreshing as anything you have ever seen in the romance genre and one of the best films of 2014.Beyond the Lights, stunning cinematography captures the authenticity of the music world without ever feeling overly glitzy and glamorous in a way that makes you envy Noni's existence. Noni inhabits a world that feels as isolated as she feels inside. The shadowy vignette effect of the cinematography gives you the feeling that you are a voyeur in her life and her world only seems to open up when she escapes from the music industry with Kaz (Nate Parker). It is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, so I will not spoil it for anyone who has not seen the film. However, anyone who has, will understand how significant and touching it is to watch Noni reveal her true self to Kaz in their Mexico hideaway. It is this understanding of cinematic language that makes Gina Prince-Bythewood one of the most underappreciated auteurs in cinema. Her films are as visually enchanting as her stories. Beyond the Lights, brilliance comes in those small intimate scenes between Gugu and Nate, and it is here where you see Gugu shine against Parker's occasionally stoic character performance. This critique is not a knock against him, it works for the character of Kaz, but one could only imagine if he was directed to open up a little more, how powerful the film's climax would've been. However, it is this reluctance to go all in on their love that makes it feel authentic. One of my biggest complaints about non-biopic films about musicians is the quality of the songs. Beyond the Lights nails this too. Masterpiece-the opening song after the prologue-feels like any number of confectionary bops that could quickly end up in heavy rotation on your local FM station. You never doubt the that Noni is a star.Beyond the Lights does not follow the traditional path of romance films. While it feels like a Cinderella story, it is really about the rediscovery of a young woman's identity that has been stripped away by everyone around her who wishes to define her. Gina Prince-Bythewood uses Nina Simone's Blackbird as an allegory for Noni's inner pain, and Gugu's doe-eyed performance lights the way into Noni's heart. Beyond the Lights is a beautiful journey into the heart of a character that exists in a coldhearted world of objectification, manipulation, and violence. However, Noni manages to make you care so genuinely for her that you want to pull her out of that world and hold her close until she remembers that love is waiting on her if she only looks inside herself.

Was honored to view this film in a pre-release screening before it hit theaters where I live. Love it! Have sinced watched it two times. I look forward to more films from this team.

Garbage. There was no grounds for the romance between Kaz and Noni. We see why she was drawn to him -- who wouldn't be? Such a stand-up guy -- but what in the world did he he see in an overwhelmed-by-fame-and-an-overbearing-mom pop sensation?First problem: editing. The opening scene shows a mom (Macy) watching her daughter enter a talent competition. Cut to second scene, where same mom is now managing a pop sensation. For all I knew, the child who had won 1st Runner Up in the talent contest is still a child, waiting at home for her entertainment agent mom. There is no clue that the pop sensation is the now-grown child. I still hadn't figured it out when Macy demands that Noni promise her she won't try suicide again. Give me on screen captions containing dates, years, something!The musical numbers are embarrassingly trashy. The only interesting thing was discovering that Minnie Driver is a Brit, as I'd only seen her in one other role, Return to Me (also a waste of time), where I seem to recall she played an American. She had me fooled. She also has begun to resemble Mary Tyler Moore.Don't waste your time.

After seeing Gugu Mbatha-Raw's performance in "Belle" recently and now viewing her rather dazzling screen charisma here, she would certainly seem to be a rising star.She gives a superb performance as Noni Jean, a skyrocketing musical talent, living the fairy tale life of a superstar, being followed everywhere by adoring fans and relentless paparazzi. However, despite all the glitz and glamor, deep inside Noni is quite depressed and unhappy.Her every move, both in her personal and professional life, is being controlled by her extremely domineering mother Macy. Minnie Driver is terrific in the role of Macy, being totally believable. Noni is so down that on the night she wins her first Billboard Award, she attempts suicide off of a hotel balcony, before being saved at the last minute by the police officer assigned for her security.Nate Parker is also excellent here as the principled police officer Kaz Nicol who saves her life. He's also dealing with a highly controlling parent (Danny Glover), with his father planning out his life so he'll eventually run for political office and have a career in that field.Noni and Kaz will begin to build a bond, but can these two souls living in two very different worlds overcome the pressures of their controlling parents, the media, and record companies to form a lasting relationship? Just a note for the viewers: there are a number of highly provocative and suggestive dance routines, from the first scenes onward, which have sexual connotations, plus one or two actual sex scenes in the film which are not explicit.The very talented filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees) ably handles the writing and direction here, and I really felt I got a vivid feel of what it's like to be a rising superstar in that environment.This is not a perfect film by any means, but the strong acting, appealing soundtrack, and a rousing and heart-felt finale win the day here.