by Yolonda van Riel

17.09.2021. Respect – what I give Jennifer Hudson for taking on the iconic role of Aretha Franklin. It must have been a daunting task to try and emulate the “Queen of Soul” but I can’t imagine anyone else capable of singing all those hits any better (except Aretha, of course!)

A small group of tic movie lovers gathered for the film at Cinecitta and, although our seats were quite close to the front, it was almost like being at a concert.

The film depicts Aretha’s life from a young girl into adulthood and how she overcame an overbearing father (played by Forest Whitaker), the death of her mother and abusive relationships to find her voice – both physically and figuratively. The film was over 2 hours but, if you haven’t seen it, make sure you stay through the credits to see a live performance from Aretha Franklin that is totally worth the wait!

Check out our movie review of The Honest Thief!