Beyond the Lights will hopefully get more attention now that it's been released on Blu-ray - it has the distinction of being one of the best modern films about fame, hitting incredibly authentic note after incredibly authentic note, never once holding back to make a cheap joke or over-the-top criticism of today's fame culture, but instead exploring its cracks and crevices. Even Gone Girl and Top Five couldn't quite get this formula right, and it allows what is a largely conventional and classic story to breathe and evolve based on the strength of the film's tight direction, and the best performance of the year. Gugu Mbatha-Raw gives the most memorable and affecting lead turn by an actress since Penelope Cruz in Volver, in a film that shares some of Almodovar's well-chosen allowances for melodrama and romance, things that would require some sort of detachment or irony in a lesser film. Beyond the Lights plays it straight, and the audience gets to reap the rewards of its sincerity.
One of the best films of 2014, let's hit rewind and give it all the Oscar nominations that it deserved. We can do that, right?
Beyond the Lights (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2014)
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mfunk9786
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mfunk9786
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Re: Beyond the Lights (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2014)
Just want to reiterate mfunk's original post. This was also one of my favorite films of 2014. I went into it cold not really knowing what it was about and was blown away. At the time I couldn't believe that one of the prevailing narratives heading into the Oscars that year was that there weren't a lot of award worthy female performances, when Gugu Mbatha-Raw was just amazing in this movie. I really liked Whiplash, but feel this is the (far) better film about music/musicians and fame to come out in 2014.