THE HIGH NOTE – A Review by Hollywood Hernandez
The High Note stars Tracee Ellis Ross as Grace Davis, a highly successful singer who is now over 40, being pushed into a corner, being forced to accept a very generous deal to perform a long term residency in Las Vegas. With the help of her assistant, who wants to be a music producer, she finds the courage to record fresh tracks rather than repeat the same process she’s been following for the past 10 years.
Ice Cube is great in the movie as Grace’s manager. He wants Grace to stack that paper while she still has the ability to perform and tuck away a nice nest egg for himself as well. But Grace gets her inspiration from her personal assistant of the past 3 years, Maggie, played perfectly by Dakota Johnson, who played in the “50 Shades” series. She has the perfect smoldering sexuality to play the character without being too over the top with that sexuality.
Tracee is also very giving in the movie, giving Dakota her own storyline about her relationship between her and her aspiring talent. Jealousy causes a real riff in the movie when Grace discovers Maggie is working with another talent, even if it is on her own time. There’s a surprise ending at the end and it gives the movie a really good and feel-good ending. I won’t spoil it for you.
Finally, Tracee’s singing is stellar in The High Note. You forget from watching the popular TV Show Black-ish that her mother is Diana Ross. Sounds like her mom gave her a lesson or two.
The movie has a run time of 1 hour and 53 minutes and it’s rated PG-13. On my “Hollywood Popcorn Scale” I rate the movie a JUMBO!
