I found the movie to be disjointed. The flashbacks didn't help tell the story either. It was like watching a collection of memories that didn't flow that well. It's a fun movie to watch for many scenes, but all in all I never really learned Bessie Smith. The movie looks like it was either heavily edited or badly written. HBO usually does such an amazing job, but this movie actually leaves you wanting for so much more.
shareI completely agree!
Good production values but disjointed storytelling.
Was the kid J.G.'s legitimate son?
The transition from big mansion to poor flat was too abrupt (yes, the Great Depression was mentioned, but still...).
What was the deal with her mother's death? They kept showing flashbacks and Viola says it was Bessie's fault, but nothing is explained.
What became of her sister?
Why not show or at least mention how she died?
The film did have lapses of bad writing and set up.
Its that man again!!
Definitely agree. There was a lot that was ignored or rushed through. I know it was about Bessie as a person, but her music was far, far underrepresented, as were certain aspects of her personal life. Even the ending was disjointed and just kind of left you hanging. Granted, they didn't need to get graphic with how she died, but a bit more detail would've been nice. This would've worked way better as a 2-parter.
That being said, Latifah was perfectly cast. The only other actress I could see doing it is Jill Scott. And truth be told, Scott would've been a much better choice to play Ma Rainey.
I didn't like the movie and though I know it's not nice to say but Bessie was kind of a bitch and she was easy.
shareDefinitely suffers from lack of structure and continuity. Wasted cast. Poor directing and screenplay.
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