Bessie

  • 2015


MOVIE IS volatile legendary musical cinematic
Close Video

59 %
89 % Certified Fresh
See Where to Watch Bessie
Positive Reviews 20
Negative reviews 6
Average Rating 3.4/5
volatile legendary musical cinematic

  • All
  • Positive
  • Negative
3.0
In a cast full of strong performances, Queen Latifah stuns. Quite simply, its the finest performance shes ever given. Av Club
3.8
It doesnt have the cinematic scope or visual language I wish it did outside of the musical numbers. Rogerebert
4.0
However, it isnt long before disappointments, a volatile marriage, infidelities, and an escalating dependence on alcohol find Bessie struggling again, .. Common Sense Media
3.0
In terms of Smiths musical legacy, Bessie feels like a film of two halves. Indie Wire
4.0
The finish, in fact, will likely send many scurrying to the Web for more details, which isnt the worst thing that could happen.) Variety
3.1
Bessie is remarkably poignant, even if that resonance is somewhat disreputable.
4.5
A thoughtful and at times stirring example of how a film can add texture to a legendary figure.
4.5
But for the most part, this is a smartly observed, understated biographical drama that sidesteps hagiography and treats its complex subject with integ .. The Hollywood Reporter
1.5
Bessie shows us an assortment of moments from that life but doesnt really make us feel it, despite Queen Latifahs best efforts. The New York Times
4.5
Best of all are Latifahs scenes with MoNique because their energies fit and because they have the most to do with music and performance and the reason ..
4.0
Bessie Smith, who earned the title Empress of the Blues back in the 1920s, remains a voice that should be heard today. Ny Daily News
3.8
Bessie captures what its like to be the exception that proves the rule, as well as to know people well enough to provide them with comfort and uplift .. Village Voice
4.4
Indeed, Latifah doesnt just make us believe in Bessie Smiths claim to fame. Usa Today
3.0
MY SAY Latifahs always good and so little surprise that shes good here, too. News Day
1.5
There are three good reasons to watch HBOs Bessie: Queen Latifah, MoNique, and Khandi Alexander. Boston Globe
3.0
Bessie knows all the right words, but hasnt quite learned how to sing them just yet. Blogs Indie Wire
4.5
Queen Latifah delivers a rich, full throated performance as the Empress of the Blues. Nj
1.5
Viewers of Bessie will love her and want to shake her, to beg her not to squander her talent. Stl Today
1.5
It takes just the first few raunchy and emotionally searing minutes of Bessie to grasp why Queen Latifah its star and one of its producers viewed this .. Wsj
1.5
The story is so intent on covering the title characters life almost in its entirety that character motivations suffer. Post Gazette
4.5
E mail: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat TV Bessie: Biopic. Sf Chronicle
4.5
It doesnt sugar coat Bessies bluntness, fights, and abuse of alcohol and drugs, or the way in which African Americans were treated. Vulture
2.0
Its a pleasure to watch and hear them wail in a film that otherwise doesnt quite cut it. Uncle Barky
3.8
Presents the powerhouse vocalist as a blues belter in more ways than one a pugnacious scrapper with a fierce streak of racial pride, a sexual appetite .. Commercial Appeal
4.5
At nearly two hours, Bessie feels a lot like any other TV biopic, with unspectacular production values and a mostly chronological story structure. But .. Google
3.5
is a story weve seen before, complete with feathers, spangles, and bootleg liquor as the action meanders through the 1920s, but a script about a queer .. Bitch Flicks



See Where to Watch Bessie