Bessie

Thanks to Queen Latifah, we know exactly who Bessie Smith is; the movie itself could have spent more time exploring how she got to be that way.

This trio of formidable women [Queen Latifah, Mo’Nique, and Khandi Alexander]--playing Smith, mentor Ma Rainey, and Smith’s hissable sister Viola, respectively--bring all of their firepower, often elevating the film from workmanlike to extraordinary with their collective ferocity.

Bessie doesn’t poke into deep psychology. It’s more a snapshot of an impressive, self-made life--with a great soundtrack.

One of the greatest blues singers of all time, Smith may simply be too big for the movie to contain. Luckily, Latifah’s towering portrayal gives her the magnetic and indelible portrait she deserves.

If the first half of the film seems slightly more engaging than the second, it’s because it has more music. Queen Latifah should be a slam dunk for an Emmy nomination for playing Bessie, but she deserves even more praise for helping contemporary audiences understand the power of Bessie’s blues.

Latifah and Rainey can sure sing out, though. It’s a pleasure to watch and hear them wail in a film that otherwise doesn’t quite cut it.

Bessie shows us an assortment of moments from that life but doesn’t really make us feel it, despite Queen Latifah’s best efforts. Blame a choppy presentation that checks off points in the Bessie Smith timeline but doesn’t probe them or knit them together.