Whoever was in charge of marketing needs they ass whooped. I had no idea there was a theatrical release. I jumped at the chance to rent it on VOD (video-on-demand). Aretha Franklin is an American icon! She’s done so much for both music and civil rights. She personally handpicked Jennifer Hudson to play this role. Hudson brought the fire; I’m talking’ scorched Earth.

Her voice is thunderous and commands your attention. I learned so much from this story and intend to do more research on her life. Aretha faced an enormous amount of adversity. It’s an emotional journey that left me teary-eyed. The cinematography made the film look like an extravagant theater performance. There is a lot of dramatic tension but its balanced by the glitz and glamour of the song performances.

Ted White (Marlon Wayans) impressed me. I never saw him play a serious role. He was a looming threat to everyone when he entered a room, and for good reason. This movie is an emotional roller coaster. The runtime is lengthy but worth it. It tackled subjects like abuse, alcoholism, and faith. Respect gets a well-deserved 8.5 out of 10.