Needed more

I agree, but I think there were budgetary issues involved.

I applaud the effort and the acting overall was great (Queen Latifa esp.) but the movie itself felt altogether thin. There just wasn't enough back story or relationship stuff for me, mostly plot points.
I was happy that someone was going to make a film about Bessie Smith but this one felt rather compact. Too bad about budget stuff if that's true...but that really isn't an excusable trade-off.

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Suspension of disbelief is a privilege, not a right. Abuse at your own Peril.

Yep. Was definitely missing something, then it just...ended.

It was OK, could've been better, and as usual I don't understand the super high rating.

Well, just be happy that HBO did the movie and not Lifetime. Lifetime would've screwed the movie all the way up (e.g., Aaliyah, The Whiney Houston movie).

All typos and misspellings courtesy of a public educational system.

Yeah! Shoulda been a 2 parter.

Carpe Noctem!

I think pretty much the same, except I don't want more of the childhood stuff, at least not graphic.

I could have done with more music too, like throughout.

The movie was pretty good as it was, and hit held my interest, and Queen Latifah and the cast were very good. I wish it hadn't seemed so sanitized. I felt Bessie's story must have been more gritty than portrayed here.

I wish there were deeper character development.