Respect

USA 2021, 145 minutes
Dir. Liesl Tommy
Rating: [M] Offensive language
Genres: Drama / Musical

Feat. Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Mary J. Blige

“Respect has everything you could hope for in a musical biopic. It has a good story and great songs and, best of all, it has someone in the lead role who can put those songs over.”~Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Aroview: Musical biopic starring Jennifer Hudson as singer Aretha Franklin in the first two decades of her life, culminating with the recording of her influential live album Amazing Grace (1972).

A production that is thankfully bestowed with the rights to Franklin's music, along with her involvement in the script before her death in 2018. Weaves themes of feminism, Black pride and spirituality into a fairly formulaic film, but with an impassioned lead performance from Hudson, whose voice has garnered much praise.