I had no idea what this movie was about when I rented it; I just thought it was a Halle Berry picture that somehow slipped below my radar screen. I wasn't sure this was a made for TV until I checked IMDB. Halle gives, of course, a near-perfect performance and she's backed up by an excellent cast except for Mr. Spiner. While he does achieve a few moments of brilliance, overall his performance was, for lack of a better word, robotic. His reach exceeds his grasp, particularly in the scene where he sings to Halle. Overacting.
Despite this one blemish, this is a picture worth your time. It's not preachy, like others in the African-American biography genre. It doesn't dehumanize the entertainment industry, doesn't canonize its while heroes (Spiner), but instead gives a gritty, honest look at what life was like for African-Americans in the business in the 1950's. If you've seen Halle in some of her less important but more hyped roles (James Bond, X-Men, Swordfish), you'll be refreshed by the emotion she poured into this role.
Despite this one blemish, this is a picture worth your time. It's not preachy, like others in the African-American biography genre. It doesn't dehumanize the entertainment industry, doesn't canonize its while heroes (Spiner), but instead gives a gritty, honest look at what life was like for African-Americans in the business in the 1950's. If you've seen Halle in some of her less important but more hyped roles (James Bond, X-Men, Swordfish), you'll be refreshed by the emotion she poured into this role.