Jennifer Hudson absolutely knocks it out of the park with her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in "Respect". Considering she is in virtually every shot in this movie, much less every scene, as another reviewer said, she doesn't imitate "Ree" as much as she inhabits her. She'd better make room on her mantle for another Oscar. The film itself is respectful but as far as I can tell pretty honest about her life. It doesn't whitewash her troubled marriage, her proclivity for being a diva, or her struggles with alcohol. When I sat down to watch this, without being the biggest fan of Aretha Franklin in the world, I thought "Wow! Two and a half hours. I hope this isn't gonna be boring." Not to worry. A terrific movie that I expect will get a bunch of Oscar noms.
Review of Respect
