This was a pretty good film, even if no new ground was broken.
Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is going to be a huge R&B star, if her mother, Macy (Minnie Driver) has anything to say about it.
Noni has other plans which include letting herself off her hotel room balcony just after winning her first Billboard Award, fortunately, kind-hearted cop Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker) is there to rescue her. Noni recovers well from her suicide attempt, though, of course, her momanger (mom/manager) tries to spin it as her getting involved in politics, as if his job isn't stressful enough. Which it is.
In the meantime, Noni has struggles of her own. Her label wants to push back the release of her album, despite her already having three hits with her public boyfriend, the jerkface known as Kid Culprit (Colson Brown). Noni isn't that happy about the whole thing, though she wishes to write her own songs, while her mother is furious, livid in fact.
Macy controls every aspect of her daughter's career. After an interview, Noni goes to eat and despite Macy being on the phone, she reaches over and pulls a piece of food off her daughter's plate so she won't eat it, as it isn't Macy approved. During a photo shoot, the photographer tells Noni to take off her jacket, so she would be topless, Noni looks to Macy for approval and Macy doesn't hesitate so the jacket comes off.
Fortunately, Noni develops feelings for Kaz and gets him to be her bodyguard, even though he already has two jobs: Police Officer and working on his campaign. But he is exactly what Noni needs, something real and someone who will give her unconditional love, though he can't deal when she won't be true to herself.
She gets him to take his first plane flight, something she can't believe he hasn't done before and he is pretty darn scared, not that I blame him. And then, the two escape after her disastrous performance after the BET awards. By this point, she had broken things off with Kid and he didn't take it well and basically assaults her on the stage, thank goodness she didn't let the dancers rip off her jacket like they were supposed to. They go down to Mexico where Noni sleeps for a whole day and pulls out her weave. Then, after singing a haunting rendition of Nina Simone's Blackbird is posted on YouTube, the cameras and her mother are back. Noni returns to Los Angeles and Kaz continues on his path to the election but they are no longer together even though Noni trusted him enough to show him her secret box of lyrics.
Noni believes that Macy is finally on her side. To be fair, Macy hasn't had it easy. She was very young when she had Noni and her parents disowned her because of it. Noni's father was long gone and though Macy did care, everything was only half-hearted. She never even learned to care for Noni's hair properly and first runner up at a talent competition wasn't good enough. She was furious, not at Noni, though Noni probably took it that way as she forces Noni to chuck the trophy.
The label is thrilled with Noni's YouTube hit and wants to release Noni's record, it is ready to go after all, but Noni wants to add her own song to it but that would take too much time. Macy forces her hand, which includes the drafted termination that was supposedly accidentally sent, firing the guy she didn't like and buying them some time. Noni is thrilled and even decides who she wants to produce her song (Ryan Tedder) but Macy says that would take too long. The album must be released now while it has momentum. Noni can't believe that after everything, her mother still isn't on her side. Claws come out on both sides and finally, Noni fires her mother. She starts rebuilding her career on her own, and she will finally be calling the shots.
Kaz has his own battles, including trying to get a woman to leave her horribly abusive husband and after the guy shoots at Kaz, it will happen, though not the way he intended. He decides that politics are not his future as his father needs to be satisfied in his own life. His father takes it alright, much better than Macy.
Noni comes clean and admits that the paparazzi actually got the story right. Her leap was a cry for help and that is help that she is finally getting. She also returns to London for the first time in years where she gives a performance without Macy hissing in her ear constantly.
To her surprise, Kaz boards a plane and is there for her performance and admits that he loves her and this time he's not taking it back. Noni doesn't have time to disgust that as she must perform and she sings the song her wrote and brings Kaz on the stage and makes out with him to the crowd's delight. And, for the record, she loves him back.
This film mostly works because of the solid performances from Mgatha-Raw and Parker with Driver giving good support. If they weren't as good as they are, the film wouldn't work. The set is also great as the far too sexy costumes Noni must wear. The songs are also great. The film is the the perfect vehicle for Mgatha-Raw. It is as though the part was written specifically for her, which isn't a problem, though it is impossible for me to imagine anyone else in the role.
Now, as I am the nitpick queen, I have a few: When Noni is performing in London, and Kaz shows up, how is he allowed backstage to see her? And after his unexplained trip, he doesn't get in trouble at work, that must be nice. But props to Kaz for bringing his dog when he and Noni escape to Mexico.
Ultimately, this film was good but I would have liked the end to have an epilogue to show that despite the odds, Kaz and Noni stayed together and Macy and Noni worked out their troubled relationship, and would finally act like mother and daughter. Oh well, things can't be perfect. Grade: B+
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