Beyonce as Deena

[iliketheater]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:48pm

Rather than threadjacking, I thought I'd start an official discussion on Beyonce's performance as Deena Jones.

I'll go first.

I did not enjoy it. I saw the film twice, the first time I was under-wheelmed, the second time I flat out disliked her. From the moment the casting was announced I knew I wouldn't like her. She did very little acting throughout the movie, and what she did I didn't like. I felt like I was wacthing a collage of Beyonce music videos. She sings well, she's beautiful... I get it. If her life wasn't parallel to Deena's I don't think she would hae been cast. I don't want to spoil the movie for the people who haven't seen it yet (which I would imagine is very few on this board), but I'll just say that there were many moments that upset me.

Someone is going to have to explain to me how she was nominated for a Golden Globe, becuase I'll never understand it.

Updated On: 1/1/07 at 07:48 PM

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:51pm

From the moment the casting was announced I knew I wouldn't like her.

Are you sure that didn't affect your view of her performance?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:53pm

Remember it's the Golden Globes.

[iliketheater]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:54pm

I guess it could have, but I can honeslty say that I went in with high-hopes. I went on opening day & I was very excited to see it, like I said, the first time I was only underwhelmed. It wasn't until the second time that I disliked her.

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:55pm

I went in not knowing what to expect, and came out very pleasantly surprised. I felt that she was quite good, even eliciting an emotional response from me near the end.

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 7:57pm

^ agreed.

I had lower expectations for her, from reading all the reviews. I was pleasatly suprsied at her performance. She was a singer first and then an actress. I though that her song "Listen" was very good, and thought it blended well in the story.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:00pm

I was also pleasantly surprised by her performance. I thought her singing was great, and her acting ws a huge improvement from anything she has done before.

[soapguy17]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:12pm

iliketheater, Watch Carmen, Fighting Temptations, or The Pink Panther. Even if you detest her as a human being, which I don't think you do, you have to respect her improvement as an actress. I got though the entire movie, and I actually didn't mind her performance. That ALOT more than I can say for the other movies.

[joeybiltmore1]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:21pm

I thought her performance was fine. I'm skeptical of ANY singing these days that isn't live since there are so many ways to sweeten with computers in post-production. But her voice is certainly lovely and she is even lovelier.

"Listen" is an ok song, I guess, but I can't see why they included it in the film other than to throw Beyonce a bone. Having her riff and belt and emote and flurry her arms about a la Effie seemed an odd choice. Isn't the whole point of the story that Deena CAN'T do that and that Effie is special? Giving Beyonce such a showy number seemed to lessen the Effie character's supposedly singular talents.

Perhaps I know the stage version too well to be truly objective. There, Deena is never more than (deliberately) blandly efficient in the voice department. Her desire to be a "real" actress seemed to come through more on Broadway; something that, to me, served the story better and made my heart break - and eventually soar - all the more for Effie.

[Fenchurch]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:27pm

For once I agree with Raviolisun, it's obvious that the first poster did not want to like Beyonce Knowles.

She was very good, not the world's best actress, but I think she was born to play this role.

[eb412]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 8:33pm

i thought she was good. Was her acting the highlight of the performance? no. Does she truly deserve a golden globe...hmm I am not sure. First of all it is the golden globes and there are so many nominees. 2nd of all, those award show things are so political and phony. If you are in a showy movie then you usually get nominated. It probably was a little unfair that she got a nomination and jamie didnt..but do these things ever make sense? I have never seen the show onstage but I liked that Beyonce didnt make totally vapid or divaish...she was just a young innocent girl.

[Shirley Hemphill]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 9:38pm

For whatever reason, (her father's management style, her mother's hideous styling, the way the other girls were replaced in Destiny's Child, etc.) it has become very fashionable to hate on Beyonce.

But the fact remains that she is not only beautiful but also has a fine voice & is a great performer.

Hate on her all you want, you cannot take these facts away.

If she was some phony who couldn't sing then I might understand the hatred... but this is just not the case.

She did a great job in the film as Deena and her own history only added to the depth of her performance.

As for the Golden Globe nomination, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (who run the Globes) traditionally nominate "STARS" over great actors. That's why you'll always see really big name celebrities getting nominated.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 9:42pm

I think she's the film's most underrated success. As written, she was the perfect choice for Deena Jones for a film. Her voice and particularly her mannerisms (and moves) show a pretty sly study of Diana Ross and I actually found her acting, particularly in the scene where she finds out she, and not Effie will be singing lead to be fresh and honest.

Now, that said. There are problems with the character. I won't say they are necessarily problems with the film because they have been problems that go way back to the original stage production. For whatever reason (perhaps to avoid a lawsuit?) the creative team chose to make Deena a fairly passive and non confrontational heroine. In short - she is not Ms. Diana Ross, who's real life story, drive and personality are a lot more interesting than anything that has ever been depicted in DREAMGIRLS.

Would I have liked to have seen Deena given a more coniving edge? A less saintly resolution? Sure. But I can't blame Beyonce for some unconvincing plot turns. As it is, I think she does a pretty swell job selling the story's melodrama.

And remember. This movie needed to have names involved who could sell the film to mainstream audiences. There is frankly no other star of her calibre right now who would have been a better choice to play Deena Jones in the movie.

I say Bravo, Beyonce.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 9:50pm

There is frankly no other star of her calibre right now who would have been a better choice to play Deena Jones in the movie.


- I will say. If R&B superstar Aaliyah was still living, she would've given Beyonce a run for her money for Deena. Aaliyah was a trained acttress. By the time of her death she had 7-8 movie deals in the work, and a lot of them sounded very promising. With that being said, she had a perfect look and sound for Deena. Her voice would've probally been even better for Deena, considering her tone was always very soft and light - she could belt - but she always had a sweet tone. So I believe she would've DEFIINITELY been in the running for the role.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 9:54pm

But she's DEAD!

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 9:56pm

I didn't expect to like her, but I really enjoyed her performance.

[Shirley Hemphill]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:04pm

Aaliyah's not only dead but no matter how popular she may have been, she never had the same major mainstream appeal as Beyonce and therefore, would not have helped sell as many tickets as Beyonce will & is.

[timote316]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:06pm

Aaliyah, at the time of her death, was nowhere near the draw Beyonce is. You could argue that with the things Aaliyah had on her horizon was going to make her huge, but its a moot point - Beyonce is one of the "it" products (to use an idea from the film) in entertainment today.

And I agree with Michael Bennett. I enjoyed Beyonce in the film. I went in with low hopes, and was pleasantly surprised. The second time I saw it, I paid close attention to her performance, and didn't find anything too negative. Perfect casting for the part written.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:16pm

I think Beyonce did a great job. You can tell that she wanted to play this role and I say Bravo to her.

And yes, if Aaliyah was still alive, I would have loved to see her in the part. I LOVE her. R.I.P.

[eve harrington2]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:21pm

I wasn't expecting to like her at all, and I found her to be lovely in the role.

I loved Hudson more, but I feel like her part was better also. Beyonce did a nice job. Is she an amazing actress? No, but she worked for me.

I liked Eddie Murphy the most.

[ljay889]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:39pm

But she's DEAD!

- Obviously she's dead, but I still believe she would've been in the running for the role...and I had a right to express that feeling. It's almost the same scenario as wondering how much different the CHICAGO movie would've been if Fosse DID get to direct it. But I'm getting off-topic here.

Anyway, I enjoyed Beyonce in the role.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 10:59pm

I think its entirely possible a Fosse directed CHICAGO would have been infavorably compared to CABARET and ALL THAT JAZZ. I'm not sure critics would have been as supportive for another movie musical done in such a similar style - plus I think if a movie of CHICAGO was done in the 80s (as Fosse planned) it may have suffered the same fate as the original stage production. The perfect timing of the revival was a huge part of the film's success.

[OOTI2004]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 11:01pm

I thought that Beyonce did a good job with the role, maybe not award-worthy, but she was definately not horrible. Although I loved the song Listen, I sat there watching, wondering what the hell is this. It was a great song, and maybe should have been a song for a Beyonce album, but I thought it didn't fit in the story, it was like a Beyonce music video was spliced into the middle of the film.

[admanrich]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 11:10pm

I thought Beyonce was good. I wasn't expecting all that much because she hasn't really had a dramatic role yet, but I was pleasantly surprised. Do I think she'll win the Golden Globe-- No, but I do think she was worthy of a nomination. Probably not for the Oscar's though-- too much better competition.

And Jennifer better win that Golden Globe. If Emily Blunt can get a nod for her role in Devil Wears Prada, there doesn't seem to be that much competition.

[sondhead]

Posted: 1/2/07 at 12:08am

I thought Blunt was pretty comically brilliant in Prada but so was Hudson.

I thought Beyoncé was great. Her acting was never bad and she had the movements DOWN for all the performances. The way she held her shoulders.. it was pretty brilliant. Her singing was nice. Everyone knows that belting was required. Anything less would have been odd for a movie made in this day and age and Beyoncé was perfect--she belted but it was always smooth and restrained. I think Listen is a powerful song that gives the finale of the movie a real punch.

**SPOILER**

Her face when Curtis tells her he picked her because her voice had no personality is heartbreaking and very real. I don't get why people didn't like her in this movie..
Updated On: 1/2/07 at 12:08 AM