Respect

The film touches upon the major moments of Franklin's life, but does not coalesce into a fulfilling narrative.

The film soars whenever the music takes over, as it does for large chunks of the action. But the backstage story is less exhilarating. Franklin had a life as big as her personality.

[Jennifer Hudson is] a winning presence, the expertise and exuberance with which she recreates the great songs at least distinguishing Respect as a superior jukebox tribute.

Hudson... manages to make Respect sing.

A glossy retelling of Aretha Franklin's life that sucks out her humanity and replaces it with a convenient two-act structure.

This may not be a definitive account of Franklin's life, but Hudson gives a definitive performance.

There is so much information that the depth of character is lost, hitting all the right notes but losing the flair of its subject.

Draping the film in a nostalgic haze, [director Liesl] Tommy suggests a lack of clarity during these early years as Aretha stumbles toward freedom, driven by a stirring soundtrack of hit after hit, and powered by [Hudson's] performance.

While Jennifer Hudson is an incredible performer, I was worried that this would feel too formulaic to be enjoyable. I came out blown away and incredibly emotionally moved...

Sadly, this particular example of a biopic does not find itself possessing an extraordinary execution to make it a singularly accomplished effort.