Review of Beyond the Lights (2014) by Jim H — 06 Jul 2015
A cop saves the life of a suicidal rising star, and they begin a frowned-upon romance.
While the film's heart is in the right place and its depiction of the music world is a well-aimed barb, there is something off about the pace and plot of this film. It is essentially an emotional, over-wrought scene followed by a montage, followed by an emotional, over-wrought scene, and the plot points of the romance are awfully quick and - you guessed it - over-wrought. The characters jump to conclusions that no real, reasonable lovers would reach, and when the plot calls for a sincere moment, the film settles for a montage that doesn't reveal enough about their journey.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker are acceptable in their roles, but in their tender scenes together, there's something insouciant about much of their acting, as though the characters they create aren't making real and vital decisions.
Overall, Beyond the Lights would have benefited from reworking its plot and stronger performances.
This review of Beyond the Lights (2014) was written by Jim H on 06 Jul 2015.
Beyond the Lights has generally received positive reviews.
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