Beauty is an American drama film written and co-produced by Lena Waithe, and directed by Andrew Dosunmo. It follows the story of a young, talented woman who struggles to keep her identity while on the path to fame. The cast includes Gracie Marie Bradley, Aleyse Shanon, Niecy Nash, and other actors.
Netflix describes this movie as:
A father eyeing a cut of her fame. A mother with thwarted hopes. A girlfriend the world can’t know about. Can she live her dream without losing her way?
-Beauty review does not contain any spoilers-
Beauty is the name of a girl who has a profound talent in music, but this gift seems to take away her freedom and her identity. The movie was more of an artistic piece of work than something that you would watch for your entertainment. However, it highlights the differences and the similarities that the world has seen in the past few decades. The differences are the openness of people when it comes to sexuality, while the similarities are the world of fame.
The movie begins with our protagonist remembering the days that led to her entering the world of fame with her musical talent. When a normal day with her girlfriend and brother is followed by a family dinner when the talk begins after her father decides to commercialize her talent. The naive girl has followed the rules her parents have set for her till today and is now being led to an ideal world of fame that she can’t help but want for herself.
But what lies ahead is anything but the fantasy that she had created. The demands of the world are split between black and white, and the tension pressurizes the young girl. On the other hand, is the homophobic society that stops her from letting them know of the existence of her girlfriend. The woman cannot find peace in her family as well when she is seen as an investment by her father who now waits for his returning money. And a mother with a musical talent herself, who is unable to refute her husband but tries to stop her daughter from entering the industry.
The protagonist goes through a character development throughout the movie and from a naive girl who is unable to rebel she goes on to stand for herself. She slowly recognizes the people who are doing what is good for her while letting go of the binds that her father had tied for her. However, as she is leaving behind the girl she used to be, the one thing that does not change is her confidence in her talent.
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There is only one way that Beauty has followed throughout the movie, singing her way to fame. This is one thing that she never diverts from and keeps making her way to her goal while learning the unfamiliar ways of a pop star. Her music goes on and she frees herself from the music of her mother along the way.
One of the best parts about the movie Beauty has to be the playlist, the soulful songs, and the musician of the 80s who took our hearts away. The songs are really beautiful and I’m heading to add them to my playlist very soon! The songs played throughout the movie are so carefully selected, and we can clearly get a glimpse of the racial struggles in the society of the time. It is these elements that give you the feeling of a society we know yet tend to ignore.
Summing Up: Beauty
This is a beautiful movie that will leave you thinking when it ends, thinking about what happens to Beauty. I didn’t realize that I had come to the end of the movie until the credits started rolling in, maybe because I wanted to know more. However, on the other hand, it is this unknown end that is the beginning of many possibilities.
The movie is a little slow-paced and will get boring in many parts, but it is its beauty and various elements of the 80s society and the world of finding fame that keeps it interesting. But, if you come here looking for entertainment, then it is only the music that will keep you entertained.
Watch Beauty on Netflix.
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Right off the bat we can see the parallels btw Whitneys life and Beauty’s. Beauty sharing a joint in an early scene with big brother, the cold reception toward Jasmine at the family dinner table and the mother who has to criticize, control and self glorify often.
The vulgar commentary btw the family members was a lot and so was the fathers tantrums, namely the one that threatened to hv whitneys things thrown all over the lawn if she asked a lawyer to review the record contract.
The guy showing up at the end of the movie was certainly intended to be a depiction of her bad boy tendencies, but by making her younger and him older they reversed her and bobbys age differences.
If I had to guess who sold this story I’m thinking…