It’s important that I preface this review by saying that I genuinely cannot stand neither Beyoncé nor Jennifer Hudson. It was important to push those feelings to the wayside and attempt to appreciate their acting and their voices in order not to hate the film. Both Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson were surprisingly good actors, but I struggled to appreciate Hudson’s Effie White for a number of reasons. The biggest issue I had with the film was Effie; that character was irritating, irrational and mentally abusive to the people she was closest to. It seemed that Tim Eyen and Bill Condon meant for the audience to feel bad for the hardships that Effie faced throughout the film, however, it appeared to me that nearly everything negative that happened to her was either brought on or exacerbated by her. Not only did Effie lack any character, Hudson is a terrible singer. She overpowered the Dreamettes due to the fact that she doesn’t actually sing, but scream. Her voice is very much similar to the sensation of nails on a chalkboard and makes me (and I imagine that I’m not the only one) cringe every time she opens her mouth. One scene, in particular, that annoyed me was when Effie is just about ready to separate herself from the Dreams and each of the members of the group (Deena Jones [Beyoncé], Lorrell Robinson [Anika Noni Rose] and Michelle Morris [Sharon Leal]) along with Curtis Taylor Jr. (Jamie Foxx) and C.C. White (Keith Robinson) stood in a circle and angrily sang at one another. It didn’t make sense to have this group stare each other down and attempt to argue through the art of music. Eddie Murphy’s James “Thunder” Early was, without a doubt, the best character in the film. From the moment he stepped on screen he made it clear that he was a bit of a dick, but he was honest. His honesty, charisma and surprisingly strong vocals made for the most entertaining moments in the film. The story itself was one that most audiences should enjoy as it portrays a group of individuals struggling to reach their goals in life and facing the difficulties of life and love along the way. I was able to look past the issues I have with the actors and appreciate some of what was taking place on the screen in front of me. However, what I dislike about Hudson in reality carried over to her character and became what I disliked about Effie White. This character, alone, caused me to struggle to appreciate certain aspects of the film and ultimately lean more towards disliking the film than liking it. If Beyoncé and Jennifer Hudson are your taste in music and/or you're a sucker for musicals, this film is definitely up your alley. If these are things you don’t typically dabble in, heed my warning and stay away. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443489/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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