My friend and I had the opportunity to preview the romantic drama, ‘Beyond the Lights’. I was really excited because it was one of my must-watch movies and I got to see it before its official release date. The film is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood who has also given us ‘Love & Basketball’ which remains one of my favorite romantic movies to date. After watching ‘Beyond the Lights’, I can confidently add it to that shortlist for sure!
The unlikely romance between Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Kaz (Nate Parker) in the movie ‘Beyond the Lights’ is a beautiful example of two people from different worlds coming together. Both were products of preplanned packaging, with their single parents running tight shifts. Their relationship was sparked when Kaz a young cop filled in for a friend on “celebrity babysitting duties” and ended up saving Noni from a suicide jump off the balcony of her hotel room. What follows is an inspiring story about love that transcends all boundaries – one which encourages us to look beyond our differences and find commonalities instead.
Throughout the movie, my friend’s predictions were proven to be correct as it was quite predictable. However, despite this predictability, I found myself rooting for Kaz and Noni who had an incredibly captivating melodramatic romance that threatened their parents’ plans. Kaz’s dad (Danny Gover) did not think Noni was suitable to become his first lady while Noni’s mom (Minnie Driver) thought Kid Culprit (Colson ‘MGK’ Baker) would be better at keeping her daughter on top of her aggressively sex-selling game. Despite all the obstacles they faced, they managed to find a way through and make it work at the end which made me root even more for them!
Noni was a victim of her own success, struggling to find her true identity under the pressures of being a superstar. She had hidden behind an overly-sexualized persona that Kaz so aptly referred to as “face-down, ass-up”. It was inspiring to watch Noni slowly shed this facade and embrace who she really is – someone looking for acceptance and love. With support from Kaz’s love, Noni found the strength within herself to take back control over her life by firing her mommy manager. Similarly, it took courage on Kaz’s part in order for him to stand up against his father and assert his own idea of success which differed from what his dad wanted him to pursue. Ultimately both characters were able to find their inner strength and voice through each other’s courage and determination
The message of ‘Beyond the Lights’ is an important one, especially for young women in today’s society. It emphasizes the importance of being authentic to oneself and living life on your own terms, instead of trying to conform to societal norms that can lead us astray. The film also addressed a critical issue – objectification and self-objectification of women in the music industry – which has become so commonplace that it is normalized. This objectification leads many women down a path towards diminished dignity, broken spirit, and shame; something we should all strive against by standing up for ourselves and others who may be struggling with this issue.
