RESPECT REVIEW

 *MAy CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Known as the "Queen of Soul" and for iconic songs such as Respect and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Aretha Franklin was a legendary singer and songwriter. She has twice been placed 9th in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Because of this, it’s unsurprising that a biopic has been made about Franklin.


Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s (Jennifer Hudson) career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, Respect tells the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice.


After coming seventh on American Idol in 2004, Hudson rose to fame after winning her first Oscar for her supporting role as Effie White in Dreamgirls at the 79th Academy Awards. Hudson continues to impress and shines with her portrayal of Aretha. She captures the singer’s powerful vocals and diva like personality. I’ll be surprised if Hudson isn’t nominated for Best Actress at next year’s Academy Awards. The supporting cast are also on top form, with Forest Whitaker as Aretha’s father Reverend C. L. Franklin and Marlon Wayan as Aretha’s violent husband, Ted White, standing out. Both are controlling of Aretha’s singing career and make most of the decisions, however, whilst working with her father, she struggles to find success. While the entire cast of Respect each deliver strong performances, it’s Hudson who stands out and the film is worth watching just for her performance. 

Following Respect’s release in the United States last month, it’s received a mixed response from critics who praised the powerful performance by Hudson but described the narrative as generic. While the story follows a typical path, I still found it to be a fascinating watch. Although I’m familiar with Aretha Franklin and her songs, I knew little about her personal life. Respect doesn’t shy away from showing the darkest sides of Aretha’s life, including her struggle with alcoholism and her relationship with her abusive husband, Ted. These scenes prove that, despite her successful music career, Aretha’s life was far from perfect. Despite its lengthy 145 minute runtime, Respect only briefly explores each of the aspects of Aretha’s life, including the sexual abuse she received when she was just a child and her mother’s death. Respect succeeds in exploring her controlling relationships with her father and her husband, Ted White, who, because of his violent and angry outbursts, is a terrifying presence.  

I found Respect to be similar to the 2019 biopic, Judy, as both are about legendary musicians who had tragic life stories. Those who found the Judy to be a fascinating watch will probably enjoy what director Liesl Tommy has created with Respect. It’s clear that Tommy wanted to create a biopic that does justice to Aretha Franklin and highlights her successful music career but also gives viewers an insight into her personal life and I think that she has mostly succeeded.

While Respect mostly consists of compelling drama, it’s at its best when it’s focusing on Aretha performing some of her most well known songs, including, of course, Respect. These sequences prove why Aretha Franklin was known as one of the greatest singers of all time and, despite her tragic death in 2018, why she’ll never be forgotten. 

With Respect, Liesl Tommy has created a fascinating biopic about Aretha Franklin, with Jennifer Hudson impressing with her performance. 

7/10