Beyonce is Etta James — FIRST LOOK

Etta James is my favorite singer and I am kinda disappointed in the choice of Beyonce to play Etta. Etta James is a very complex woman and people would know that from her music. She does not have a shy but bold personality . I am hoping Beyonce can show all the different aspects of Etta the great. I am not a hater but a fan of Beyonce but I am honest. She cannot act and that is a fact but she with practice she may get better. I believe she can accomplish the sultry voice of Etta but she must work on the emotional side of acting to pull it off.

Beyonce better not screw this up. Her voice sounds nothing like Etta James.

Also, why does everyone call a person a hater if they express an opinion against someone. It’s called disagreeing. Just because people, especially Etta fans want to see a true actress in a film doesn’t mean they hate someone. I could care less about Beyone, but I love to see phenomenal legendary Afr. Amer. women portrayed with energy, vibrancy, and substance and to be drawn into the movie. It has nothing to do with Beyonce, but her work has shown that she is truly NOT an actress! I do not hate her!!!!!

Oh I see…she is the executive producer….that’s how she got the role! Please you singers, leave acting to the actors. This film is a testament of her hidden greed and inner grandiosity. In my opinion, she can’t formulate a whole sentence in interviews, so acting in full length films lets me know that she doesn’t yet know her own limitations. She is pushing herself to a break down…everyone laughed at Britney Spears but Bey, as they call her, is on her way to a meltdown. Her music is much to be desired…almost something of a cat being strangled. It’s clear that Etta James did not prefer Beyonce to play her but hey, she’s paying for the movie so Etta had to roll with the punches. Her dancing has messed little girls heads up with her booty shaking and gyrating, isn’t she married now? She has been pimped for so long by her father and now her husband. Look deeper people!…But she wants to make a positive impact…well if her mother would stop making bras and panties for her to wear on stage for the world to see then maybe she could do just that! And this alter- ego Sasha Fierce is just a cover for her true self…You don’t have to act innocent then name the other part of you that’s really a bad girl…it is what it is. We have some real nut jobs out there. Stay true to yourself…hollywood sucks the life out of talented folks because they allow it to for the greed of money and fame…celebrities have issues but they have to stuff it inside and put on the mask that grins and lies…later imploding because of the pressure! And we the public buy every poison stick dipped in honey that they sell us…don’t be a victim to deception, everything is an illusion!

I am glad Beyonce is making money. But let’s face it, she is where she is because she is safe” . She is light skinned, and that’s what Hollywood looks for. She can’t really act and she is not that great of a singer. She has the white standard of beauty and that sells in movieland. Ask Halle Berry.

Before you judge see the movie. Jill Scott is an okay singer but cannot act. Beyounce is a star and will draw people to the movie. She works hard for what she gets. Go see the movie and believe me you will enjoy it. I see at least one movie a week and believe me. This movie holds its own.

I like Beyonce as a singer and I feel that she is very talented, I also feel that she can pull this off . I am a 51 year old grandmother and sure their are other talented females but give her a chance.

Beyonce does an incredible job. She plays the hell out of the role, and her singing is incredible

Let Us Not Forget The Actual Etta Singing A Jimmy Radcliffe Song No Less!
Awesomely Represented On YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktwGaZOcuIw

Yes, Beyonce is a talented, but “Go Beyonce,” her profile was used for Dreamgirls because SHE WAS ONE OF THE PRODUCERS of the movie and soundtrack — HELLO!!! People may still be talking about her in Dreamgirls, but probably in comparison to Jennifer Hudson’s truly amazing performance. Yes, she got 2 GG nominations, NOMINATIONS (no win), but Jennifer Hudson took the OSCAR. As to her playing, and I do mean PLAYING at being Ms. Etta, but did no one in casting think of JILL SCOTT for this role. Now SHE would have been fantastic!

Beyonce is an entertainer and performance artist with a farily decent voice. This is not a criticism but rather a description of her actual show business niche. Others of this ilk who’ve had long and distingquished careers are Liza Minelli and Bette Midler. They all sing and dance but they are not “singers” per se. Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan and Etta James are singers, the former group put on what are essential variety acts, song and dance shows, while the latter group stands and delivers songs, they’re “singers.” Get the difference?

As a performance artist it’s a natural progression for Beyonce to stretch into acting, like both Minelli and Midler did, quite successfully I might add. Sometimes singers do this too, like Barbara Streisand.

If Beyonce is faithful to study the craft she will become a better and better actress. There’s no reason to think she will not persist and succeed. In this latest film she does a very credible job. You forget that it’s Beyonce up there, unless you’re just hell bent and being her critic, and that’s all you can ask from a basic acting job. Does she bring anything special to the role? Yeah, I think so. Etta was a teenager out there in the business all by herself and even at a young age she was a tough broad. Beyonce pulled this off in the earlier studio scenes, bringing some big time attitude. I also think she did well in the restaurant scene with Brody and the near O.D. scene at the house,
also with Brody. This last scene, with a lot of nose to nose close ups, required the projection of some muted but powerful emtional power. She played well against Brody, who is most certainly a good actor.

I grew up in the black theater (my Mom was an actress) and in Beyonce Knowles I see a fine young actress developing. Beyonce was a suitable choice of type, given the importance of Etta being half white, and like Beyonce herself, Etta was prettier than most in her trade. Beyonce’s no classic beauty but she’s packaged very well and has pulled off the sex bomb act with commercial success. You can’t argue with results in the marketplace. I think the many critics of Beyonce’s acting will be pleasantly surprised by her lates effort. It’s an excellent film, in my opinion.

Hat’s off to Mos Def, who once again delivers a stellar acting job. Mos Def is a multi threat talent: Rapper, Singer, Rock guitarist/singer, Actor and Dancer. Also check out Jeffery Wright, a star who people are starting to recognize, saying “hey, wasn’t he the guy in…?” Yes, he was the guy in George Cluny’s weird spy flick, he was the guy in Lackawanna Blues and so on. Wright, in my opinion, is one of our better legitimate dramatic actors.

I’m anxious to read the comments of some of the folk here who were so critical of Beyonce after they’ve seen Cadillac Records. I think they’ll have to admit that she did at least a credible job in the role. I think it was a major step in her growth as an actress.

Just my opinion,

Ben in Detroit (where the weak are killed and eaten)

I saw the movie and Beyonce played the role. I don’t know if all the others did their roles justice, but as Etta herself says, I aint no angel. Maybe we are mixing up the person with the person in the role. She did produce the movie, but all producers want recognition, so I hope she thought that she could research and play that role. I plan on seeing it again.

Oh and to the hater, that said why do we call you haters, it’s just disagreeing. Let me break it down to you, Your a hater because you hate what someone else is doing because you can’t do it yourself, I bet 9 times outta 10 you are some fat and flabby, sloppy, put together looking something, sitting on the couch with nothing to do but critisize someone else. Give people a chance, you know the more you do something the better it gets. This is her 5th or 6th movie and I must say that she has come a long way. Even her singing, I have always liked Destiny’s Child but over the years Beyonce’ voice has matured and became much stronger. God made her, he knew what her purpose on earth was, and she was born to be a star, she is a performer, and a entertainer, and is quite down to earth. If you think she cant sing you areentitled to your own opinion, but go to one of her concerts and then what will you say???? And oh, Jill Scott is an excellent singer, and Angela Bassett is a great actress, but guess what, they are brown skinned just like me, Etta James was a mixed women (Bi-racial) Beyonce is not bi-racial but she is light skinned