Joyful Noise
2.5/4
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan
Rated PG-13 for Some Language including a Sexual Reference
"Joyful Noise" is for people who love musicals so much that they are willing to overlook more than a few fatal flaws: subplots that appear and disappear with alarming frequency, a complete lack of focus, and the presence of a truly creepy character. Still, the musical numbers are well staged, and it's hard not to get caught up in the whole thing by the second half. It also has the decency not to force Christianity down our throats. It may be about Christianity, but it never preaches.
The choir director at a small town church (Kris Kristofferson in what is really a highly billed cameo) has died suddenly while on the way to the regional competition. Surprisingly, the replacement is not his bereaved widow, G.G. Sparrow (Parton), who helped arrange the music. Instead, the position goes to the official assistant director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah). Naturally, G.G. is quite miffed over this, and makes no secret of it. The feeling is mutual, but Vi has her own problems. Her husband (Jesse L. Martin) has just signed up for another tour in the Army, which she considers to be a desertion of his family, her son Walter (Dexter Darden) has Asperger's, and her daughter Olivia (Palmer) has fallen for G.G.'s grandson Randy (Jordan) a bad seed who has come down suddenly from New York. Can Vi get everything together and take her choir to the national competition?
For the first hour, "Joyful Noise" is an utter mess. There are a dozen little subplots running around with no organization, and the only connecting thread is that all the characters are members of the choir. They're also all cliches. The rivalry, the interracial romance, the mentally ill son, the daughter who is growing up too soon, the bad seed with a good heart, it's all here. It's watchable, but little else. Fortunately, when writer/director Todd Graff focuses on the journey to Nationals, the film takes off. Unfortunately, it takes the better part of an hour to get there.
The acting is mostly effective. Queen Latifah is one of the most likable and underrated actresses around, but she has a tendency to choose bad projects. Methinks she needs a new agent. Nevertheless, she's good enough that she keeps things at an acceptable level. And she has a great singing voice. Dolly Parton, in her first major screen appearance in 20 years, is adequate as the feisty G.G., but she is always overshadowed by her obvious plastic surgery and her famously large boobs. The best performance is by the young actress Keke Palmer. Palmer won raves for her performance in "Akeelah and the Bee," which is as of yet unseen by me, but she's terrific as the young girl who's struggling to get out from under the watchful eye of her mother and grow up. The same cannot be said for her co-star Jeremy Jordan. Randy is a misfire of epic proportions, and Jordan's performance does little to help matters. Randy is meant to be the troublemaker who's not as bad as his reputation suggests, but the character misses the mark by a considerable amount. Randy is a lecherous, homophobic creep; Vi has the right idea when she doesn't want Olivia to be around him. He's a nasty individual who is completely unsafe for a young girl to be around. The only good thing that can be said about Jordan is he has a decent set of pipes. He's also a violent thug; when Walter mentions that he is unable to understand if a guy is coming onto him, Randy shoves him aggressively and then encourages the disabled boy like nothing has happened. If Graff thinks that this is acceptable behavior for any character intended to be sympathetic, he is sorely mistaken.
Whatever problems Graff may have when it comes to storytelling and characterization, let no one say he can't stage a musical number. Whenever the actors break out into song, that's when his direction shines. The choir numbers are excellent and guaranteed to get even the most morose viewer's toes tapping. But far more interesting are the quieter numbers, like Latifah's "Fix Me." She sings it in an empty church with a ghostly version of her choir backing her up. It's a stirring sequence that brings to mind Christopher Columbus' staging of "Seasons of Love" in "RENT."
I highly enjoyed the film's final act. It takes off so well that I almost recommended the film. But I can't. The first half is too problematic. I don't think I could really describe how messy it is. It is that bad. There is a shining light in the mess, however. A sex joke (kind of odd for a film about gospel) that occurs about a quarter of the way through caused me to burst out laughing. It is very, very funny. Still, it's not enough for someone who isn't a die-hard musical lover to want to sit through.
Starring: Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan
Rated PG-13 for Some Language including a Sexual Reference
"Joyful Noise" is for people who love musicals so much that they are willing to overlook more than a few fatal flaws: subplots that appear and disappear with alarming frequency, a complete lack of focus, and the presence of a truly creepy character. Still, the musical numbers are well staged, and it's hard not to get caught up in the whole thing by the second half. It also has the decency not to force Christianity down our throats. It may be about Christianity, but it never preaches.
The choir director at a small town church (Kris Kristofferson in what is really a highly billed cameo) has died suddenly while on the way to the regional competition. Surprisingly, the replacement is not his bereaved widow, G.G. Sparrow (Parton), who helped arrange the music. Instead, the position goes to the official assistant director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah). Naturally, G.G. is quite miffed over this, and makes no secret of it. The feeling is mutual, but Vi has her own problems. Her husband (Jesse L. Martin) has just signed up for another tour in the Army, which she considers to be a desertion of his family, her son Walter (Dexter Darden) has Asperger's, and her daughter Olivia (Palmer) has fallen for G.G.'s grandson Randy (Jordan) a bad seed who has come down suddenly from New York. Can Vi get everything together and take her choir to the national competition?
For the first hour, "Joyful Noise" is an utter mess. There are a dozen little subplots running around with no organization, and the only connecting thread is that all the characters are members of the choir. They're also all cliches. The rivalry, the interracial romance, the mentally ill son, the daughter who is growing up too soon, the bad seed with a good heart, it's all here. It's watchable, but little else. Fortunately, when writer/director Todd Graff focuses on the journey to Nationals, the film takes off. Unfortunately, it takes the better part of an hour to get there.
The acting is mostly effective. Queen Latifah is one of the most likable and underrated actresses around, but she has a tendency to choose bad projects. Methinks she needs a new agent. Nevertheless, she's good enough that she keeps things at an acceptable level. And she has a great singing voice. Dolly Parton, in her first major screen appearance in 20 years, is adequate as the feisty G.G., but she is always overshadowed by her obvious plastic surgery and her famously large boobs. The best performance is by the young actress Keke Palmer. Palmer won raves for her performance in "Akeelah and the Bee," which is as of yet unseen by me, but she's terrific as the young girl who's struggling to get out from under the watchful eye of her mother and grow up. The same cannot be said for her co-star Jeremy Jordan. Randy is a misfire of epic proportions, and Jordan's performance does little to help matters. Randy is meant to be the troublemaker who's not as bad as his reputation suggests, but the character misses the mark by a considerable amount. Randy is a lecherous, homophobic creep; Vi has the right idea when she doesn't want Olivia to be around him. He's a nasty individual who is completely unsafe for a young girl to be around. The only good thing that can be said about Jordan is he has a decent set of pipes. He's also a violent thug; when Walter mentions that he is unable to understand if a guy is coming onto him, Randy shoves him aggressively and then encourages the disabled boy like nothing has happened. If Graff thinks that this is acceptable behavior for any character intended to be sympathetic, he is sorely mistaken.
Whatever problems Graff may have when it comes to storytelling and characterization, let no one say he can't stage a musical number. Whenever the actors break out into song, that's when his direction shines. The choir numbers are excellent and guaranteed to get even the most morose viewer's toes tapping. But far more interesting are the quieter numbers, like Latifah's "Fix Me." She sings it in an empty church with a ghostly version of her choir backing her up. It's a stirring sequence that brings to mind Christopher Columbus' staging of "Seasons of Love" in "RENT."
I highly enjoyed the film's final act. It takes off so well that I almost recommended the film. But I can't. The first half is too problematic. I don't think I could really describe how messy it is. It is that bad. There is a shining light in the mess, however. A sex joke (kind of odd for a film about gospel) that occurs about a quarter of the way through caused me to burst out laughing. It is very, very funny. Still, it's not enough for someone who isn't a die-hard musical lover to want to sit through.
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