*** (out of four)
Though rising pop star Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the industry’s hot new toy, her label isn’t happy with her right now. “We’re selling fantasy here,” a sleazy exec tells Noni and her mom (Minnie Driver). “And suicide ain’t sexy.”
He’s referring to public perception of Noni’s recent scandal, which she told the media was the product of champagne plus a balcony plus stilettos but didn’t necessarily win anyone over. Well, except for Officer Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker of “Non-Stop”), who caught Noni just before she plummeted from her 12th-floor Beverly Hills hotel room. He’s interested in the person underneath Noni’s uniform, which includes a purple-flecked weave and outfits that leave little to the imagination. She appreciates it, but to sing her own songs and shed the sex-object image that brought her to the cusp of major stardom would be to sacrifice her tenuous hold on the spotlight.
What may sound like an obvious indictment of the industry’s superficial priorities achieves something more insightful and compassionate in the hands of writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love and Basketball”). Beneath the private planes and shouting paparazzi is a simple tale about happiness—parsing out fantasies from true desires, and being brave enough to get it.
Sure, aspects of this story recall a more dramatic take on “Notting Hill” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” along with “Nashville”-esque revelations. Kaz is a little too saintly, and Prince-Bythewood’s wise choice to avoid forcing the aspiring politician to distance himself from his tabloid-friendly squeeze means the filmmaker must strain to find another reason to pull these two apart.
Yet the film puts a real face on certain clichés while addressing that stars might be better role models if the industry would only let them be their true selves. And what really gives “Beyond the Lights” its own voice is another commanding performance from Mbatha-Raw (“Belle”), who doesn’t need words to explain how the outer emptiness of Noni’s persona has found its way inside.
Watch Matt review the week’s big new movies Fridays at 11:30 a.m. on NBC.
mpais@tribune.com
Want more? Discuss this article and others on RedEye’s Facebook page.
