For example, Jamie Foxx became Ray Charles in "Ray". You believed that the person on screen was really Ray Charles.
Beyonce just looked like Beyonce acting like Etta James. The cursing did not become her. I like her well enough, but I did not like her in this role.
2*CUTE*4*U
I agree but for me it wasn't the acting that limited Beyonce's believability, it was her singing voice. From the time she walked onscreen you know BeyEtta was supposed to be a very strong force to be reckoned with and during the line delivery I ALMOST bought it. Maybe because of all the cussing who knows. But then.....she opened her mouth to sing Etta's songs and it was like screeching brakes...NOOOOOOOO. You know that effect they use when a record is playing and someone snatches the needle off very loudly and everything around them stops...well that was BeyEtta at the mic. Now I'm not saying Beyonce' can't sing, I think she actually does have a beautiful voice but it's not and never did get as strong as Etta's. That just erased all validity she had as the character for me. What was worse was how she tried to transition into sort of a sassy, half drunk looking sway while singing at the mic. I guess this was her I'm a strong badass woman act but it came off like a TERRIBLE lip syncing session.
shareBeyonce did a fabulous job as Etta.
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I'm sorry, did you say you grow up "around" Etta James or you grow up on Etta James?
The only thing you can speak on is how Beyonce sings. You don't know how Etta performed in the Studio or in her private life.
Unless you have footage of Etta in her prime that dispels anything Beyonce did, being young or old does not matter, . The only thing you can take issue with is the fact that Beyonce doesn't sound exactly like her.
If you don't think see was sassy enough to be compared to Etta James; If that scene with her father really happened, I think Beyonce played that very well.
"You can make a good movie out of a bad book, but you can not make a good movie out of a good book"
ShutTheFunkUpFogell u are soo right!
Of course, Bee is not going to look or sound exactly like Etta..
& for if you guys have kept up with her or seen the couple of projects that beyonce has done, u would realize that,
This character Etta James is her best performance by far, boldest should i say..
She has come a long wayy honestly..
&& You guys saying that she was Beyonce is sooo NOT true..
Beyonce doesnt really everr sing so strong and heartfelt like she did..
& she even said for her self she doesnt curse or speak like that, she asks her parents could they leave because she knew hoe inappropriate it is..
Exactly. Beyoncé also don't normally sing in that blues-way she did in the movie
shareJust an FYI Etta does the N.O. Jazz Fest often and she sounds stronger and better than Beyonce' NOW.
shareThere is still room for a full Etta James biopic. Somebody work on that.
shareI gotta say your right about that I love Beyonce,but to me she just didn't have the depth to play someone like Etta James. This part would of better fitted a new coming up actress or maybe even someone like Hallie Berry not saying Hallie Berry,but someone that has depth and knows how to make you feel the emotions of the character. Etta James sung with such pain and conviction that made her songs just timeless and wonderful. Beyonce just know how to do beyonce. I don't know why they gave her such a good role....sad it was just a waste. she need to still to Pink Panther movies roles like that cause she's messin stuff up. I don't know how anyone couldn't see she wasn't right for the part. It's like if you gave will smith in the pursuit of happyness role when he was still doin Fresh Prince...he'd of stunk up the place He got better with time and became more intune with what it takes to be a great actor.
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all a executive producer credit is, is food for a stars ego, they can get that credit as part of the contract, even if they don't actually do anything...
what, you don't watch entourage? LOL
Beyonce just looked like Beyonce acting like Etta James. The cursing did not become her.
She is not a good actress, but I thought this was her best dramatic performance to date. I hope she continues to improve with each role.
"I'll tell you right out...I am a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk."
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I heard Etta James on a radio show and she said that she couldn't imagine Beyonce playing her because Beyonce was not hardcore enough. However she changed her mind once she heard Beyonce singing her music. Now that statement sound like she didn't want Beyonce until she thought about the money she was going to get for it or maybe someone ELSE convinced her to keep quiet about her reservations.
Singing a song well does not make for a good actor.
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JLoveLamar,
I don't know if you did or didn't read the comments that Etta made about Beyonce but if you did we obviously interpreted them differently.
I don't need to know Etta to know what she said regarding Beyonce's performance and my comments remain the same.
NONE of us KNOW Etta, not even you. Just because we read about them, watch them on television or listen to their music does not mean we KNOW a celebrity.
It is all based on our perception, education, life skills etc. In this case my opinions about Etta and Beyonce are mine and we obviously have opposing views.
There is no right or wrong.
I can respect your difference of opinion and you need to respect mine.
Have A Great Day
Beyonce was amazing as Etta James. It amazing how ppl blame it all on the actors. There is also writing and directing involved. It was not completely her fault if she didn't look or sound like Etta James. She is not a costume designer nor a screenwriter. She is an actress, and she did her job.
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Original poster, I agree. A garbage performance.
This has been a public service announcement.
It does make you wonder why they would have someone else (even a famous singer in her own right) actually do Etta James's vocals when the woman had a distinctive, deeper voice and is still alive to witness it. Jamie Foxx could sing, but he knew they should have Ray Charles's vocals dubbed over. Granted Diana Ross did her own singing as Billie Holiday, but I think her vocal style was a little closer to the real thing than Beyonce was. Not that Beyonce isn't great and close, but Beyonce is Beyonce, even here -- she is very distinctive on her own and no one would mistake her voice for Etta James's.
shareshe is very distinctive on her own and no one would mistake her voice for Etta James's.
I agree with you about the cusring is so not like Beyonce. I don't think that she made Etta James believable at all. What I don't understand is, why can't Beyonce lip-synched Etta's songs? The rest of the actors lip-synched and they were better off doing so.
shareOne reason that Beyonce couldn't lip-synch Etta James' voice is because no one would EVER believe that Etta's big and powerful voice would come out of little Beyonce. The reference that someone made about Jamie Foxx "coming" Ray..was easy for him...most of his comedic career has been made on "acting" like other people...no to mention the fact that he has a lot of similarities as Ray Charles. But if you compare the singing in this movie to "Lady Sings the Blues", Diana Ross was told to re-record her singing to make it sound less like Billie Holiday. I believe that they wanted to do the same with this movie, have Beyonce make those songs her own and not try to mimic Etta James. Even though she did make her voice a little more raspier than normal. From a musical standpoint no...she wasn't Etta James...but I would have rather heard her singing this..then trying to sound like Etta
sharePLUS the fact that Etta James doesn't even sound like she used to...the years of hard singing has damaged her voice really bad. She can still sing..but it's much deeper and much more rough and rugged
shareHonestly I felt that Beyonce's acting wasn't believable, point blank. She looked like she was trying way to hard to capture the essence of "Etta".
but when she opened her mouth to sing I was memorized. Her performance in terms of singing gave me chills, which is to expect because she is a singer. I think she should lay off the acting and stick to singing.