Sparkle

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source: Sparkle

Sparkle is a low rent version of Dreamgirls so to speak a remake of an unremarkable film form the 70s is a bad film make no mistake about it. The direction is very amateur, the cinematography is crap and the performances are mostly questionable but the film has its charms as well as it's good moments. And although the film is way melodramatic and unintentionally funny at parts it still manages to be entertaining and consistently engaging. The film centers on a trio of sisters in a band called well "Sisters" lol. The plotting movers along expectedly as they have a minor rise to fame while dealing with their overprotective mother, love, drugs, sex and domestic abuse. But the film also delves a little deeper into the intricate relationships between them due most to the solid performance from Carmen Ejogo as Sister she's sultry and seemingly self centered but underneath that she's extremely protective of her sisters she basically raised as her mother had problems. Because of that her position in the group and her family is a difficult, multi layered one and the best exploration is done there. Everything else feels a little forced and flimsy. I don't wanna be to hard on the film because for the most part I enjoyed it and maybe thats because I enjoy lifetime movies. It has it's good moments and it's bad and the best I can say about Whitney Houston's involvement in the film is that she was a very talented woman earlier on in her career and I hope she's at peace now. Although a mixed bag there is enough here to merit a recommendation if this type of melodramatic, musical period piece appeals to you. I'd also like to say that even though the film is set in the past it never feels that way. The consistency is off as well as the logic and it feels very modern with some retro costumes. The film doesn't much sparkle as have a dull shine. 3/5

Sparkle (2012) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Remake of the 1976 film about sisters Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) who decide to try and make it in the music business even though their mother (Whitney Houston) objects to them doing so after her life was ruined by an attempt. The original movie was quite predictable but it was still very much worth watching because of the performances and the music. I'm really not sure why we needed a remake and especially since this one here takes place in the 1960s just like the previous ones. Either way, for the most part this is a mildly entertaining film but there's still no question that it falls short of the original. There are actually quite a few things that do work here including the performances but especially Ejogo as the troubled sister whose decisions are going to cost her and her sisters. I thought she was incredibly believable throughout the picture no matter what the story was calling for. It could be for sexiness in the music or the downfall of the drug addiction. This here was actually the first time I had seen Sparks in anything and I thought she was fine in the role, although, like the original, her character is pretty much in the background. As for Houston, she's not too bad in the film but I must admit that I think her death somewhat hurt the movie, which is strange to say because I doubt anyone would have gone to this had it not been her final film. Hearing her character talk about drug abuse, bad choices and other things just makes you think of Houston and her death. This really has a negative impact on the film that it might not have had if the actress didn't die during the post-production. Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Curtis Armstrong are all extremely good in their parts. Another negative thing is that the majority of the music is pretty forgettable with none of the songs really jumping out at you. This includes Houston's one number, which is just pretty weak. Still, SPARKLE manages to have enough in it to make it worth sitting through even if the end result isn't nearly as good as most would have hoped for.

Whitney Houston when you were on screen it just lite up the screen!!U brought all the pieces to the movie together u were extraordinary!! .Sister was great in every way because she was flawed just like all of us and she still had amazing charm.I smell Oscar in here near future. She also reminds me of Thandie Newton from "Beloved","For Colored Girls" ,& "Mission Impossible 2" in terms of acting quality. Mike Epps has chosen the role of his career as Satin..he really was at his best in this film.I have never seen his characters have much depth in other films but in this one he had a a lot of material to really play with.Bravo Bravo for such a menacing portrayal. I also thought Jordin Sparks for her first feature film she did decent to good but was great the last 20 minutes wow!she just blew me away..GREAT WORK FROM EVERYONE GRADE A

I Just Came Back From Sparkle, And I Enjoyed It!!! I Went With Ma Friend And Her Mother! I Give The Original Sparkle 2.5 Out Of 5 Stars....The Only Reason Why That Movie Was Good Was Because Of Lonette Mckee And Irene Caraès Performance! They Made The Movie!! But This Version I Give It 4 Out Of 5 Stars! I Was Impressed With The Writing! After Hearing That Mara Was The Writer I Was Kinda Skeptical Because Of Her Writing In The Game And Girlfriends (Shows That I Love Very Much, Prefer Girlfriends Though) Lacked Something About Them...Not Sure Though! But I Was Impressed With This Movie And Everything! Its Very Colorful (Something The Original Lacked), And Each Character Were Developed More (Which The Original Lacked)..I Really Enjoyed This Movie! Jordin Was Decent To Good In Her First Movie. Was Impressed And Enjoyed Watching Her! Tika Was Great, And Her Character Was Really Developed In This Movie! Carmen Was Phenomenal! She Really Shined And Helped Carry This Movie Through! I Loved Her Acting! Mike Epps Was Awesome And Believable, Glad He Gott A Role That Can Heighten His Career! Derek Luke And Omari Were Great, Wished Omari Had More Screen time Though! Whitney!!! I Am Gonna Miss Her Dearly!!! Nothing Was Gonna Stop Me From Not Watchiing This Movie!!! NOTHING!!! The Only Negative Thing I Have To Say About Whitney Was That At Times Her Voice Was Raspy....At Times, But That Being Said! She Was Definitely Believable, And Great!! This Was And Is Her Best Acting In Her Career! Very Proud Of Her, Never Failed To Give Her Best!!! May She Rest In Piece! I Loved How The HEIOTS Was Worked In This Movie!!! To The Critic That Said That Her Acting Looked Tired, He Is A Dumbass Guz She Even Says In The Film That She Is Tired!!! Fools!!! I Really Loved This Film! In A Way, I Felt The Beginning Was Rushed A Little! But I Was Left Pleased And Happy With This Movie!!! 4 Out Of 5!!! I Hope Sony Did Not Edit Any Of Whitneyès Performance That Would Have Left Us Floored!!! And I Went To A 10:45pm Show...It Was 70% Filled, With Black Audience...And One White Ladie....LMAO! Sorry, Had To Laugh! There Were A Few That Was Young Like 12....But The Age Was Generally 25-50!! But Awesome Movie Glad I Saw It And I Will Be Seeing It Again!!!

As a HUGE fan of the original "Sparkle" from my childhood, it took some getting used to all the changes that were made to the new version, but somehow it worked. Mara Brock Akil is a talented Hollywood Showrunner and I've been a longtime fan of hers. Whitney Houston played her part well as the over protective, bible toting, stern, and bitter single mom of three young women with a troublesome past of her own, who eventually comes around to showing support for her daughter Sparkle's dream of achieving secular music stardom. The ads portray Cee-Lo Green as if he is a main character, but he simply has a short cameo role. Carmen Ejogo plays the part of "Sister" with a little less UMPH and sassiness than the original, vivacious Lonette McKee, but I loved the fact that Akil was able to give us a little more depth to most of the characters, especially Mike Epps as "Satin." He did an outstanding job, although he played the part of a famous comedian (go-figure), as opposed to a drug dealer like the original. Nonetheless, the guy has acting chops for sure! The oh so gorgeous Jordin Sparks and talented Derek Luke played the roles of Sparkle and Stix wonderfully. What I would have liked to see was a bit more of the Levi/ Sister relationship before Satin wooed her away, as in the original film. The breathtaking Tika Sumpter played the part of Delores to a Tee, and there was a stronger bond of sisterhood the remake was able to explore. There are just some unforgettable highlights in the original story that needed to stay, like the Stix & Satin alley fight, Levi working his way up the hustlers food chain. In the new film, he's on the bottom, and the next thing we know he's on top and giving Satin a dose of his own medicine, but we never learn how he got there. There was brutality with Satin and Sister, but the original "crawl" scene would have worked just as well in the remake. Also, there's never any discord between Sparkle and Stix. He says he's leaving, but never does, and she just takes him back with open arms. Delores desire to leave and become a doctor came from watching her mother struggle as a maid her entire life, but in the new film, they came from a middle class family, so there was no struggle. Overall, it was a good movie that worked with all the changes, but if I had my wish, I would have wanted to see just a little bit more PAIN and STRUGGLE that sparked the original "Sparkle."

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 jnatsis@iprimus.com.au 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.*

I Just Came Back From Sparkle, And I Enjoyed It!!! I Went With Ma Friend And Her Mother! I Give The Original Sparkle 2.5 Out Of 5 Stars....The Only Reason Why That Movie Was Good Was Because Of Lonette Mckee And Irene Caraès Performance! They Made The Movie!! But This Version I Give It 4 Out Of 5 Stars! I Was Impressed With The Writing! After Hearing That Mara Was The Writer I Was Kinda Skeptical Because Of Her Writing In The Game And Girlfriends (Shows That I Love Very Much, Prefer Girlfriends Though) Lacked Something About Them...Not Sure Though! But I Was Impressed With This Movie And Everything! Its Very Colorful (Something The Original Lacked), And Each Character Were Developed More (Which The Original Lacked)..I Really Enjoyed This Movie! Jordin Was Decent To Good In Her First Movie. Was Impressed And Enjoyed Watching Her! Tika Was Great, And Her Character Was Really Developed In This Movie! Carmen Was Phenomenal! She Really Shined And Helped Carry This Movie Through! I Loved Her Acting! Mike Epps Was Awesome And Believable, Glad He Gott A Role That Can Heighten His Career! Derek Luke And Omari Were Great, Wished Omari Had More Screen time Though! Whitney!!! I Am Gonna Miss Her Dearly!!! Nothing Was Gonna Stop Me From Not Watchiing This Movie!!! NOTHING!!! The Only Negative Thing I Have To Say About Whitney Was That At Times Her Voice Was Raspy....At Times, But That Being Said! She Was Definitely Believable, And Great!! This Was And Is Her Best Acting In Her Career! Very Proud Of Her, Never Failed To Give Her Best!!! May She Rest In Piece! I Loved How The HEIOTS Was Worked In This Movie!!! To The Critic That Said That Her Acting Looked Tired, He Is A Dumbass Guz She Even Says In The Film That She Is Tired!!! Fools!!! I Really Loved This Film! In A Way, I Felt The Beginning Was Rushed A Little! But I Was Left Pleased And Happy With This Movie!!! 4 Out Of 5!!! I Hope Sony Did Not Edit Any Of Whitneyès Performance That Would Have Left Us Floored!!! And I Went To A 10:45pm Show...It Was 70% Filled, With Black Audience...And One White Ladie....LMAO! Sorry, Had To Laugh! There Were A Few That Was Young Like 12....But The Age Was Generally 25-50!! But Awesome Movie Glad I Saw It And I Will Be Seeing It Again!!!

I loved this movie it was just what we all needed right now..good screenplay,great performances from the whole cast,great big musical numbers(especially Whitney Houston magnificent version of "His Eyes Are On Sparrow") Mike Epps was so funny yet so evil in this film..the dinner scene will have the audience totally entertained.. Sister was the stand-out performances and I cannot wait to see what she does next in her career..I see Oscars in her future.Jordin Spark was likable but wish she added a little more Spark to her role but she redeemed herself at the end with "One Wing" . Derek Luke was the weakest link in this film to but doesn't take away from the movie. Tamale Mann was also a great addition to the cast she is always spot.Michael Beach played the pastor and he was hilarious although I don't he was trying to be. I give this film a solid A.