MOVIE REVIEW -Beyond The Lights

Beyond The Lights is out, and is one of the most surprising movies of the year.

This is a romantic drama that is reminiscent of movies similar, most notably The Bodyguard.  But that's been a long time, and this stands up well on its own two feet.  This has opened to very little fanfare, but this is worth a view.

BTL is the story of a young pop singer named Noni.  She is a beautiful young woman trying to make it with a super controlling mother at the wheel calling the shots.  In a fit of weakness, after an awards show, Noni attempts to kill herself by jumping off a 9 story balcony.  But at the last second, she is saved by a really nice young cop, Kaz.  He pulls her to safety.

As time goes on, Kaz and Noni strike up an unlikely romance.  Each come from very controlling families that have a plan for their kids, that may not be the same as themselves.  What this is, is a love story that's a little bit Bodyguard, Romeo And Juliet, and a few other music driven movies. And when you shake it all out, this is OK.

Overall, the story holds up well, and although there are a few convenient holes in it, and some of this could have been done much better, it's still OK.  Our performances are strong by the main stars and the supporting cast.  There are also a slew of cameo's that give it credence in the music and entertainment real world.  And the music is really good.  In fact they were really smart, and didn't forget the music would be pivotal here.  And they didn't let the love story dominate this so much, that the music would be in the back seat.  Let's remember, Noni is a young pop star.

Is this perfect?  No.  But this is pretty darn good, and opened to very little buzz with Disney's animated flick and Interstellar, and Dumb And Dumber dominating the box office.  But don't be afraid, this is a nice diversion from the cartoons, special effects, and those two morons going through mid-life crisis on the screen.

Beyond The Lights.  This is pretty good.