Fourteen years ago Gina Prince-Bythewood delivered one of the best modern romances featuring African-American stars in Love & Basketball. The film established her as a filmmaker willing to take a hard line with her characters; to show the complexities in them, both the good and bad, set inside an insular world few of us are familiar with. That she was able to make a film about a black relationship that wasn't just about their blackness was refreshing then and is just as much now with Beyond the Lights, a steamy, passionate romance set in the not-so-glitzy world of showbiz.
What? I know you're shocked that being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. That story has been trotted out on the silver screen so often it deserves a genre to itself. So at least in one regard Beyond the Lights is a little familiar, but the execution of it, thanks to Prince-Bythewood and her two magnetic stars are what elevate the material. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, so impressive earlier this year in Belle, does a complete 180 as Noni, a biracial pop music superstar raised on the hard-scrabble streets of England by her fame-seeking mom (Minnie Driver). Quick as lightning she's gone from having nothing to having everything; paparazzi following her every move, a super-hot rapper boyfriend, and a debut album on the way expected to sell millions. But being an auto tuned pop starlet isn't who Noni wants to be. There's so much more she has to offer if only someone would "see" her. Fortunately, stoic and handsome LAPD cop Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker) does see Noni throwing herself off a balcony in a drunken fit of depression. Saving her and showing far more concern for her than mommy dearest, Noni decides she wants to keep Kaz around for a little while as her personal bodyguard. Yes, this is basically A Star is Born mixed with The Bodyguard, but you won't have to worry about any lame serial killer subplots getting in the way of passionate embraces.
The nuts and bolts we recognize, but Prince-Bythewood uses the premise to explore issues of race, sexuality, and identity, in particular for women who find themselves in the public spotlight. While her intensely sexual public persona is what sells records and keeps mom happy, in private Noni sees herself as Nina Simone, one of the most fiercely independent African-American singers of her time. At the same time Kaz is dealing with his own identity issues, squabbling with his father (Danny Glover) who thinks kickin' it with a saucy pop star is no way to launch a political career. But is that what Kaz really wants? Both lost in the expectations of others, it's no surprise when Kaz and Noni become lovers, defiantly fighting for a chance to just be themselves. One of the things that made Love & Basketball work so well and is recaptured here is that despite all of the ups and downs these lovers endure, there is a fundamental respect between them. Kaz and Noni push one another to be their best, even without realizing it. It's rare to find a filmmaker who can make both a great date night movie that is also a nuanced critique on anything, but Prince-Bythewood is one of those who do it with ease. She gets plenty of support by Parker and Mbatha-Raw, who smolder in their scenes together. I've been saying for years that Parker is the next Denzel Washington; he's got the kind of presence that is undeniable, powerful and instantly commanding. Mbatha-Raw takes what could have been a "woe is me" role and brings real gravitas to it. Tasked with basically playing two characters: the stage "Noni" and the genuine, unglamorous Noni, Mbatha-Raw excels and both and makes us believe someone like Kaz could love her.
While the use of Nina Simone's "Blackbird" (also the film's original title) is overdone and Prince-Bythewood doesn't dig into the gender politics of fame deeply enough, Beyond the Lights is an impassioned film about being true to oneself, in career and in love.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
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