Respect

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Radio Ballarat and South West Victoria on August 20, 2021.

(M) ★★★½

Director: Liesl Tommy

Cast: Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Kimberly Scott, Albert Jones, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Skye Dakota Turner, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Brenda Nicole Moorer, Tate Donovan, Mary J. Blige.

"Transdermal celebration, caused a slight mutation in the rift..."

It’s hard to think of an artist more universally revered and loved than Aretha Franklin. And it’s hard to think of an actress more suited to playing her than Jennifer Hudson. 

Hudson doesn’t actually look like Aretha, but she gets Aretha. And best of all, she can sing like Aretha - hoo boy, can she sing like Aretha.

The Oscar-winning actress takes this biopic to another level, dragging it out of its paint-by-numbers storytelling. All the clichés are here - the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles - but Hudson’s performance and the reverence given to the music elevate the film above its cookie-cutter moments.

Starting with her childhood before jump-cutting suddenly to Aretha on the verge of her first record deal, the film is painfully slow to get going. While most of the set-ups in the opening half hour pay off later, Respect kicks off more like a Wikipedia entry than a riveting embodiment of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists.

But things get into a rhythm when Aretha’s career does. The undercurrent of bad men and under-appreciated talent comes to the fore as we watch her churn out an incredible array of ignored albums while falling in love with the wrong guy, before finally stumbling her way into fame.

The film hits all the right notes on the way up, but grinds its gears heading down into the third act, as Aretha’s “demons” take hold and we get to her “difficult diva” stage. The editing and pacing make it seem like this dark phase comes out of nowhere, even though it's been well set-up, narratively speaking. It’s only when we get back to the music that the film finds its voice again, leading us to a beautiful, moving and uplifting conclusion.

Respect distils Aretha's life well, and doesn't hide the icon's troubles, instead portraying them in a way that allows us to her strength in confronting and overcoming these weaknesses. Aretha comes across as a strong but flawed woman, which makes the film a richer experience as a result. Her spirituality and the civil rights movement simmer through the film, adding an extra flavour to the story of her music, even though it skims over important elements, such as her relationship with her children and the circumstances around their births. 

Respect can never quite shake the stock standard muso biopic vibes but it's still enjoyable. It's not a bad film but it's not exceptional, even though Hudson is and Ms Aretha Franklin certainly was.