Beyond the Lights

Released:  November 14^th, 2014

Rated:  PG-13

Studio:  Relativity Media

Starring:  Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver

Directed by:  Gina Prince-Bythewood         

Written by:  Gina Prince-Bythewood

Personal Bias Alert:  dislikes romances, not familiar with either of the leads

4.5 of 10

            I’ve never been enamored by the music industry.  I’ve had long arguments about how oversexed or just plain weird imagery passes for entertainment, particularly in pop music, and often overshadows those who are writing honest and intelligent pieces.  I consider music the most passionate form of art, the one that most easily forms an emotionally connection to the audience.  The astounding gift of great musicians (some of whom do work in pop) are their ability to combine well-crafted melodies with vague yet emblematic lyrics that a wide swathe of people can personally connect to in a matter of minutes.  That’s why it frustrates me to see so much of the music industry focused on a performer writhing around on stage instead of the smart, sensitive things that can come from their brain.

            Beyond the Lights makes me thing that writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood shares my point of view.  A major theme of the film is how adversely the hypersexual and inauthentic parts many young female pop artists play affects them personally.  It’s brought to the forefront from the beginning, when an emotionally inert emerging pop star named Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) accepts her first Billboard Music Award in a bondage-esque, barely there outfit and promptly goes back to her hotel room to kill herself.  She is, of course, saved by a strapping and sensitive police officer (Nate Parker), who is rattled by her stoic demeanor immediately following the event.  The pair eventually falls in love, and Parker’s Kaz encourages Noni to make the sort of music she loves.

            At first, I was rather unimpressed by Mbatha-Raw and felt she was being outshined by the likable Parker, only to realize that she was masterfully portraying her character’s arc out of hopeless depression.  Early on, she actually feels like someone without the will to go on, someone stuck in the incessant quagmire of a deep depression that has deprived her of nearly all other emotions.  As Noni’s relationship with Kaz forces her to confront her problems and her long-buried ambitions, Mbatha-Raw gets to come out and play a full part.  A late scene allows her to show off how emotive she and good music can be in a powerful and effective culmination of both the character and the main theme’s arcs.

            The film features a scathing look at the music industry, pegging it as exploitative and insensitive to its young female stars.  Now I already thought that this sort of thing happened, but I was surprised to find that they were able to get across this message without exaggerating the film’s music videos, onstage performances, or photo shoots.  All look remarkable normal compared to their real-life counterparts, and that authenticity is perhaps the most damning pieces of evidence that the film presents.  Feel free to take a look for yourself; the video that was made for the film is on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP7gLPRDojg.

            For all these excellent pieces, Beyond the Lights staggers under a poorly constructed script.  While its themes and characters are strong, it tries to present them under the guise of a by-the-numbers romance, and the numbers couldn’t have been triter.  It was always painfully obvious what the next beat was going to be, sucking any suspense and narrative tension straight out of the film.  They try to pull some fast ones on you, but most are so poorly constructed, especially a late ‘who could be at the doorbell?’ moment, that they come across more as annoyances than surprises.

            The only mystery to the film is how it can simultaneously move through its beats so quickly while feeling so painfully long.  The big suicide attempt occurs in the first few scenes, and the romance starts jarringly fast.  After that, the film becomes mired in subplots that keep things moving but don’t always go anywhere.  With their outcomes predetermined, the sidetracking is both unnecessary and uninteresting, overly complicating a story that could have been effective if it had narrowed its scope a bit.

            There’s a lot to admire in Beyond the Lights, but it overstayed its welcome and had me tapping my feet in anticipation of leaving.  That’s disappointing, especially when you look back and realize how well it commented on the darker side of young pop stars’ lives.

Other Notes:

Ø  It’s really depressing that Prince-Bythewood had to fight to have this movie star two people of color.

Ø  The song that got me most excited was the cover of The xx’s Shelter.  That probably says a lot about my musical taste.

Ø  The cover story might have been a lie, but I’m willing to bet that alcohol, a balcony, and 5 inch stilettos really don’t mix well.