Jennifer Hudson Unleashes Frisson Of Excitement In 'Respect'

"Respect" stars Jennifer Hudson as Aretha Franklin, the musical genius who became the Queen of Soul — a music icon with the inescapable virtuosic, soulful vocal range.

Focusing on the diva’s life over a transitional two-decade span, the biopic, directed by Liesl Tommy, charts Franklin’s meteoric rise to international stardom from her Detroit childhood in 1952 through the crowning moments of her illustrious career in the 1960s and early ‘70s, a period touted as the heyday of soul music. The movie shines a light on Franklin’s personal quest for success, culminating with the live recording of her “Amazing Grace” album.

Watch the trailer.

The film’s opening sequence enthralls as young Aretha (Skye Dakota Turner), a 10-year-old vocal prodigy, eagerly shares her God-given talent with a bevy of guests and luminaries, her dad, the influential Rev. C.L. Martin (Forest Whitaker) has invited to their home. Particularly, among them is blues queen Dinah Washington (Mary J. Blige), who can’t help but wonder if she's just met her successor.

Franklin's childhood is no bed of roses; the plot highlights how abuse and infidelity led to her parents’ separation. Her mother’s (Audra McDonald) untimely death also rubs salt into the wound, creating a rift between Franklin and her father, a fracture that would continue into adulthood.

As she ventures out into the music world, Franklin (Hudson) struggles to find a single hit — and her own voice and sound. Her toxic marriage to the controlling and violent Ted White (Marlon Wayans) — who happens to be also her manager — does not help either.

The tide of her musical misfortunes turns when she meets and subsequently starts collaborating with music producer Jerry Wexler (Marc Maron). Meanwhile, the would-be star vows to take full control of her music and her life against her husband’s wishes.

Alas! A star is born as Franklin scores her very first big hit record, “I Never Loved a Man,” ending a losing streak of nine consecutive album flops. The plot then shifts to her re-imagining the title track, Otis Redding’s “Respect,” followed by her thrilling live performance of the song at Madison Square Garden— ultimately catapulting her career to new heights of success.

As Franklin’s young life unfolds, the movie also attempts to address the music legend's alcoholism, desperation, faith and connection to the civil rights movement. However, the screenplay seems languid in its exploration and execution of these narrative threads, where scene after scene often feel anticlimactic, incomplete and half-baked.

Thankfully, with Hudson's unshakable conviction and wondrous performance, the star has managed to buoy a rather dissonant film, unleashing frisson of thrill and excitement by the end.

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