I viewed Sparkle earlier this month at an advance screening. If you've not seen it Sparkle it is an inspiring, feel-good, musical drama about three sisters living out their dreams 1960s’ Detroit. The reviews have been unfavorable but I actually liked it (and I'm a movie hater:). The plot contains oodles of drama I cried twice.
Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) a songwriting whiz tries to become a star while balancing life in a challenging family. After she starts a relationship with her music manager, Stix (Derek Luke) her mother, Emma, (the late Whitney Houston) becomes obsessed with trying to keep her daughters from pursuing their aspirations. Sparkle and her two sisters Dolores (Tika Sumpter) and Tammy/Sister (Carmen Ejogo) form a group, Sister and her Sistas. The story takes a tragic twist once Tammy/Sister begins a romance with comedian turned drug addict Satin Struthers (Mike Epps).
Sparkle is a remake of the 1967 movie, filmed in Harlem, inspired by the Supremes. While the movie had the typical dramatic themes of this genre of film (drug addiction, domestic violence, fighting, tragic death, too much church) the director, Salim Akil, did a decent job of updating these motifs while adding the magic of the Motown era. I especially appreciated the direction of the wardrobe selection by costume designer Ruth Carter. It was period specific yet fresh making me nostalgic for 60s’ fashion, hair, and eyewear.
I thought Sparkle had shine. What do you think?