Respect
MGM
As general posthumous biopics go, Respect, directed by Liesl Tommy, fits perfectly into the generic and simplistic of ventures. A sprawling feature that covers a sizeable amount of time and place, Respect covers a significant portion of the subject's life, but after its almost 130-minute running time, the viewer is sadly still left to figure out who exactly Aretha Franklin was.
First and foremost, the clear and most evident aspect of production is that of Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin. She is a powerhouse of skill but is never fully curated to expose such a character on screen. One such notable example would be each and every performance; Hudson galvanises the screen and reaches for the highest heights, managing to scale said mountains. She is phenomenal, to put it bluntly, yet when the layers of character begin to build up, a dramatic performer's skill is needed to flesh out the internal scope. Hudson can only provide so much. While the audience cexperience certain moments of fallible behaviour and harrowing sequences of domestic violence on the screen, they are never felt to a significant emotive degree due to lacking development and tenderness within the sequences themselves. Forrest Whitaker establishes the mood and depth of proceedings with an often bitter back and forth between Hudson’s Aretha that thankfully gives the feature much-needed energy and perspective of what is worth fighting for. Nevertheless, this is often interrupted with Damon Wayans conventional and rudimentary performance that attempts to influence proceedings and axe depth but sadly fails to incite emotional maturity or even emotive response.
Before long, and in Respect’s one-dimensional output, Hudson’s talent on screen begins to fade rather quickly. Now, this is not entirely in fault of Hudson herself, but more so it is in the screenplay from Tracey Scott Wilson and Callie Khouri that begins to showcase its lack of creative power. Said screenplay comes down to ultimately two narratives and two emotive factors that define the feature as a whole: Franklin's relationship with God and her relationship with her closest circle. Now it is not to demean or nullify said sequences and depth to Franklin’s character, but the writing – and sadly the film, in general – can only occupy itself with this limited substance and consistently wains in exploring such. Nothing grows or evolves to a degree in which the viewer sees growth or lack thereof.
The cinematic quality is equally as flat. The image presented is constantly without flair or edge. Aside from a snippet of establishing factuality with live footage re-recorded with Hudson in place of the real Franklin, the camera and aesthetic never take an evolution or establish itself as creative. Granted, multiple dutch angles and iPhone shots are not attributes that are needed to intensify or indulge the audience but, alas, director of photography Kramer Morgenthau is unable to inject personality or even a trait within this production. Perhaps this is due to the Franklin estate stipulating proceedings or, more worrisome, the lack of creative spark from director Liesl Tommy. Either way, the end result reveals an overall lacking ambition for the creative; watching such, it becomes clear that the only clear intention and job of the feature is for editor Avril Beukes to cover as much material as possible in the smallest amount of running time imaginable.
Granted, it might be that very one-dimensional feature of its narrative that maybe is Respect’s only slight successor in finding an audience. Its Wikipedia-esque narrative of little information provided with an encore of musical performance will undoubtedly help break up this larger piece into shorter format viewings or even for showreels found on YouTube. The feature is seemingly stitched together sequences that feel without fluidity and reflection, more so taken from an introductory Wikipedia article that is crafted without curating a living, breathing subject. The repetitive nature of proceedings tires equally as quick as one would imagine. The rinse and repeat nature of the plot elicits little imagination and interest in the subject herself or the story. An element that is the biggest sin imaginable in such a leading powerhouse of culture but historical implication only to be led astray by a basic and rudimentary feature film feels too big of a disaster to be forgiven.
All in all, the one-note depth, one-dimensional character study, passive approach to this story ultimately forces Respect to nose dive into oblivion. While Hudson showcases strength in the departments she is accustomed to, in-depth and layers offer a reach too far. Those who are uplifted and find sanctuary in the sound and lyrics of Franklin’s voice are better off viewing Pollack’s lost documentary Amazing Grace – in which this feature, ironically enough, flirts with by the end – to fully appreciate and find solace in the grace that is the queen of soul.
