Sparkle (2012)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Crappy film

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.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Pop star Jordin Sparks stars alongside Whitney Houston (in her final performance of what was supposed to be the second wind of her acting career) in Sparkle, a remake of the 1976 cult hit among black audiences. Conversely, the 2012 version, centred around a trio of sisters who hit the big time in 1960s Motown before being crippled by the lures of fame, is entirely devoid of any personality or soul, playing out like every other African-American themed shambles this side of Tyler Perry's repeated disasters.Director Salim Akil (an apparent prodigy of Perry's stylings) breaths plastic life into the cardboard cut-outs he calls characters. Almost every stereotype conceivable in the dram-rom genre is on full display, including the preachy reverend, the tough girl, the abusive husband, the heavy-handed mother and her introverted daughter. The performances across the board are sound, but a practically non-existent screenplay renders any interaction between characters essentially worthless. Even at a touch under two hours, Sparkle severely overstays its welcome. Given the similar plot frame and emphasis on glitz-and-glamour music, comparisons to Aussie crowd-pleaser The Sapphires are to be expected, but where the local production made its intentions clear from the outset, Sparkle rambles and labours, pleading with its audiences to maintain an unwarranted sliver of attention in the lead up to a drab and bitterly predictable conclusion. *There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on [email protected] and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*

Last February 12, I reviewed the original Sparkle that starred Irene Cara in the title role and in which I noted Whitney Houston's death the previous day because of her role in the remake which I'm reviewing now. Ms. Houston, who was also one of the exec producers, is very good as the mother of the three daughters who initially form a girl group of singers even though I noticed that her speaking voice was now quite worn from her years of drugs. But her singing her one song here was still great so she left this viewer still wanting more from her though I know we'll just have her recordings and movie and TV appearances to look for now but that should be good enough considering how much she contributed to the entertainment world. Now about this remake: With some changes in story and characterization, not to mention period and location, it's still about one young woman's dream of writing and singing good hit songs despite her mother's initial disapproval. And "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks turns out to be somewhat of a good actress to make the character of Sparkle shine though of course it's really her singing those now-classic Curtis Mayfield songs from the original movie that really puts her through. The most impressive turns are those who play her two sisters especially the one who eventually ends up going to medical school (Tika Sumpter) whenever she confronts her other drug addled sister (Carmen Ejogo) about her abuse at the hands of her comedian husband. As for which version is better, I say this one though it seemed to lose some dramatic edge near the end compared to the original one. Still, the longer length did help open up the story and characterizations enough that I was mostly satisfied so on that note, I highly recommend this version of Sparkle.

Sparkle is a musical drama starring former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. The plot, centered in Detroit of the late 1960s, focuses on a tight-knit family of young women who form a pop vocal group and pursue music-business fame, all while trying to avoid the wrath of their mother. The late Whitney Houston portrays Emma, the family matriarch.Boutique manager Emma keeps her girls on a short leash. 19-year-old Sparkle dutifully keeps a job in the same store as Emma, and she participates in choir with older sister Dee (Tika Sumpter), a medical school candidate. Eldest sister Sister/Tammi (Carmen Ejogo) is recently returned from a reportedly unsuccessful stint in New York City. Sparkle composes secular songs in secret, and lately has been sneaking out to nightclubs where the outgoing Sister performs the material to excited crowds.Stix (Derek Luke), an aspiring music executive, sees both of them at the club and at church. He convinces the sisters to make a run for the big time, with him as manager. Soon, the trio of 'Sister and her Sisters' becomes a prominent local act, gaining the attention of major music labels. Meanwhile, Stix and Sparkle (whose shyness belies her own singing talent) become smitten with one another.Mike Epps convincingly plays the devious Satin: a "crossover" standup comedian who desperately wants to rebuild a rapport with African American audiences. His smooth ways—and apparent affluence—quickly win him over with Sister, but his doping and physical abuse figure to derail everyone's goals. Ejogo, easily the dramatic anchor of the film, is a revelation as Sister: a worldly and blunt counterpoint to the innocence of Sparkle, she carries the most resentment against Emma, and suffers the most by narrative's end.Houston has, in some sense, a thankless role here. Emma's stern church-lady clichés dominate her character's arc. Houston plays her as devoutly religious but visibly world-weary; the plot hints at—but never fully reveals—Emma's stunted singing career, and the film suffers for it. The audience is expected to fill in the blanks on why she's bitter. Several lines of dialogue and plot points inadvertently have an eerie ring to them in light of Houston's untimely death.The film is a remake of the 1976 original which has since gained an enduring cult status. Lead producer Bishop T.D. Jakes, co-writer Mara Brock-Akil and director Salim Akil infuse the film with standard gospel-play themes of temptation, falling from grace, forgiveness and redemption. Whether familiar with the original or not, viewers shouldn't be disappointed.

Today, I went to see Sparkle and let's just say that I wasn't disappointed at all. Whitney, Whitney, Whitney...... she did her thang! The whole cast was great and I discovered hidden talent among the cast that I hadn't noticed before. Wow!! Don't let the haters keep you from seeing this movie. I was singing, laughing and dancing in my seat. I was filled with emotions like never before, I can honestly say that I enjoyed Sparkle(2012) better than the original. I was born in the 60's and could easily relate to the characters in Sparkle. When I left the theater, I said to myself that I can't wait until it is released on Blue Ray(extra everything). It is always a pleasure to see and hear Whitney, loved and forever missed in my heart. Go see Sparkle! Peace.