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Who has more respect: "Respect" for Aretha Franklin from heaven, "Vivo" on charming Netflix

"Respect" may bring Oscar to Hudson for her performance as Aretha Franklin, but it is a tedious and clichéd film.

"Vivo" on Netflix, on the other hand, proves that if it is already a musical film - then it will be starring a raccoon

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• Aretha Franklin

• Lynn Manuel Miranda

Avner Shavit

Tuesday, 17 August 2021, 00:45 Updated: 07:29

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Trailer for the movie "Respect" (Film Forum)

Three years and one day after her death, Aretha Franklin's legacy lives on more than ever on screens. Two years ago, the docu-genre "Miraculous Grace" appeared here, which commemorated its celestial performance in 1972; Yesterday, the National Geographic anthology series "Genius" appeared, this time dedicated to her life; And over the weekend, "Respect" was released, a film called one of its greatest hits and deals with its experiences before and after it.

Whoever gets into Franklin's skin here is actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, who is already mentioned as an Oscar favorite for her performance here - just as Remy Malek picked up the statuette for his role as Freddie Mercury in "Bohemian Rhapsody" two years ago.

"Respect" hits theaters on top of the huge success of that hit and Rocketman's relative success over Elton John. Musical biographies are now a hot commodity in Hollywood, and one can understand why: the industry is now looking for assets that have a built-in target audience, and in that sense movies about the lives of singer goddesses are like adaptations for comic books, only with more chances to win an Oscar. When a studio releases a film about Aretha Franklin, it gives it a marketing advance, because at least it has caught the attention of its fans, and nowadays such promotions are a sought-after commodity.

It would be a cliché to say that "Respect" replicates all the clichés of the genre of musical biography - but it is true.

Think of every sick evil you've seen in a movie of this kind before, and find it here: the script quickly skips through all the stations of the singer's life - her childhood in the shadow of a violent father, her life with an equally toxic partner, and of course her professional rise, fall and resurgence;

The actors, including not only Hudson but also Forrest Whitaker as the father of Franklin and others, emulate the people they embody more than they play them;

And in the gallery of characters you can find a variety of stereotypes, for example the Jewish musical director who speaks fast.

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Another summer, another musical biography.

From "Respect" (Photo: Film Forum)

The acting displays are flashy and theatrical, as is Liesel Tommy's directing work. This should come as no surprise: she has so far worked mainly in theater (with great success) and this is her first film. The product that came out of her hands is not surprising either - all in all, we have already learned what to expect from such musical biographies.

Two fakes in the film are particularly jarring. First of all, he pretends to touch on Franklin's activity and social importance, but perhaps in order to reach as wide an audience as possible and not challenge anyone, he is careful not to show what exactly happened in the United States where she grew up, and has almost no representations of racist violence.

In addition, as the film progresses, it emphasizes one aspect: how religious belief saved Franklin from herself. In doing so, "Respect" becomes a particularly refined or sophisticated broadcast of service to the Christian Church, and obviously, this move, too, is not devoid of commercial considerations.

There are some beautiful scenes in the film, mostly ones that describe how Franklin created her most canonical hits, but they do not save the honor of "Respect," which is spread over a rather tedious 140 minutes.

All that is left is to get bored, and wait for Hudson's Oscar nomination and of course for the next musical biography.

It is better to read Wikipedia.

From "Respect" (Photo: Film Forum)

And from a musical about a character who was really showing in theaters, we'll move on to a musical about fictional characters available on Netflix - "Vivo", which went on the streaming service recently, more than a decade after Lynn Manuel Miranda started working on it.

Like the genre of musical biography, Miranda has become a hot commodity in Hollywood following the iconic status of the musical, "Hamilton". And so, apart from a filmed version of the stage production, we have won in the last three years a variety of projects by the multidisciplinary creator: the new incarnation of "Mary Poppins", the musical "Neighborhood on the Height" released two months ago and now this film, and the hand is still out.

Unlike previous projects, "Vivo" is an animated film. Miranda wrote his songs and also dubs the main character - Kinkajo, a cute animal also known as a gripping raccoon. He lives in Havana with his owner - an old musician who has never been in the spotlight, but is happy in part.

Speaker: Gloria Estefan. From "Vivo" (Photo: Netflix)

It turns out that in his youth, the Cuban singer had a beloved musical partner, voiced by Gloria Estefan. Her professional blossom has separated them - but now, just before it's too late, the opportunity arises for one of them to perform and one last kiss, which takes the raccoon on a journey in its wake.

Into the cauldron also enters the relative of the elderly singer, a frenetic girl who is responsible for one of the central musical numbers in the film, reminding us that "Wow" is not "Hamilton", but an animated comedy for the whole family.

In the director's chair sat Kirk de Miko, who had previously been responsible for several hits of this kind, such as "The Crucians" and "Monkeys in Space." In many ways, "Vivo" is similar to animated films with talking animals we've already seen before. It also has scenes of the kind that are probably a tribute to Hollywood products for the family audience, for example one in which the mother apologizes to her daughter for not being able to get into her late father's shoes.

What sets Vivo apart from its predecessors are two elements.

First of all, Miranda's music - these are not the best songs he has written in his life, and yet they are fine enough to make the film more than just a generic product.

Another fact contributes to this - above all, it is a celebration of Cuban culture, which explodes here like fireworks in the air with all its colors, sounds and sounds.

Finally, respect to raccoons!

From "Vivo" (Photo: Netflix)

And perhaps most important of all - this is probably also the first film starring Kincajo, a raccoon whose so far only appearance on screen was in an episode of "Sesame Street" from the late 1960s.

Here he finally gets the respect he deserves, proving that at least when it comes to movies, it's better to rejuvenate with singing raccoons than to watch another musty musical biography.

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