| Joyful Noise (PG-13) ★★★ | | Print | |
| Reviews - Movies 2012 |
| Written by Jessica Aymond |
| Friday, 13 January 2012 00:00 |
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"Joyful Noise" Doesn’t Quite Hit the High Note This goody-goody “Glee” and “Disney”-esque film, directed by Todd Graff (“Bandslam”), centers on faith, love, music and restoration. While many of the musical numbers are hits in this musically driven comedy they are unfortunately accompanied by a lackluster, unorganized script. Queen Latifah (“Chicago,”) and Dolly Parton (“Transamerica”), both past Academy Award nominees, are polar opposite power women who don’t quite sing to the same tune in this spiritually based film. Casting two very strong, contrasting women seems like the perfect idea for a movie, especially if looking to expand the target audience. Although this may work in theory, in the case of “Joyful Noise,” there is so much contrast between the characters that it falls short of genuine. While both stars bring their overtly distinctive attitudes to the screen, Parton’s character, G.G. Sparrow, was overdone. As a viewer, I felt like I was watching a children’s program during most of Parton’s face time, with her unique high-pitched voice and overall ‘dolled’ up look that we’ve come to expect. She spoke to her troubled teenage grandson, Randy (Jeremy Jordan) as if he was 6 years old. Parton, playing her first lead role in nearly 20 years, wrote original songs for the film, including "Not Enough.” The scenes featuring her songs were entertaining for about 30 seconds. Audiences were especially restless during the scene where she sings, “From Here to the Moon and Back,” while fantasizing about her husband still being alive. I don’t blame them. Although die-hard Dolly fans may feel differently, her songs seemed to fall flat. The most believable character in this film is Latifah as her signature sass and witty one-liners keep things entertaining. Playing Vi Rose Hill, Latifah is the mother of a talented teenage daughter, Olivia (Keke Palmer), and son Walter (Dexter Darden), who has Asperger’s syndrome. She has a tough shell but a huge heart and infectious smirk. Her husband Marcus (Jesse L. Martin) has been away for two years, stationed at an army base. This void and other adversities take a toll on the Hill family. The sudden death of the choirmaster, G.G.’s husband, leaves G.G. and Vi Rose vying for the coveted position. The church council chooses Vi Rose, the proponent of traditional gospel tunes, for the position. This decision doesn’t sit well with G.G., who was hoping to integrate more contemporary music into their choir. To make matters even more awkward, G.G.’s notoriously mischievous grandson, Randy, moves back to town and stops by the church during rehearsal one day. He gazes at Olivia belting an impressive rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” and it is clearly love at first sight. This becomes a hurdle as Vi Rose does not allow Olivia to date, especially someone related to G.G. The female power struggle, backlash of the church director, Walter’s struggle with social interactions, financial challenges, and a fluctuating lack of faith in the Hill family are just some of the hardships throughout the film. With so many issues jumping around, the tension seems to fade and we lose track of the unresolved issues. Palmer and Jordan are true talent when it comes to singing. With better material, we’ll hopefully see them wow audiences even more in the near future. One would think Jordan came straight off the set of “Glee,” with his contagious smile, instant charisma and a twinkle in his eye.
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