issaconeilmason I gave this movie a 5 because of Zoe Saldana's amazing performance. Should an actress with darker skin have portrayed her...yes? It was part of Nina Simone's identity, but Ms. Saldana was chosen and she did a great job.I love biographical films. A truly amazing bio flick should either highlight an important time in the artist's life or it should summarize perfectly the life lived in 2 hours. This movie truly fails. Recently, I saw a documentary of Nina Simone's life and it is a very complicated history with lots of stories to tell. Why did this movie decide to highlight this part of her life? It makes no sense. With all of the limited series on television now days, I would love there to be a series that highlights an artist for 10 episodes. Nina Simone deserves that type of treatment.I say watch this movie if you want 90 minutes of listening to Nina Simone's greatest hits.

Lisa Muñoz After the big hoo-ha about how bad this film is, in particular because of Zoe Saldana's casting, I decided to give this movie a shot.I know virtually nothing about Nina Simone's life, but this film does not want to portray what her life was during her prime. Instead it relies on itty bitty pieces of dialogue during interviews and conversations with Nina's old friend Richard Pryor. It is set during the last decade of her life, when she is mentally ill, unstably alcoholic and very difficult to tolerate. Clifton (David Oyelowo), the nurse at the mental hospital where she is interred, takes her in, looks after her and eventually becomes her manager. The real problem with this movie is, glaringly, the time period of Nina's life. It's not a good one, and very little happens in the movie. We start her off as a little girl defying racial segregation so that her parents can sit in the front row. Nothing else is shown of her rise to fame and struggles, which makes the film feel very empty. One thing I really didn't like is the erasure of Clifton's homosexuality. Although he and Nina are not seen intimate with each other (at one point she calls him the F word when he refuses to have sex with her) there is a small implication. Why couldn't they show everyone he was gay?The last thing is of course Zoe Saldana as Nina. I personally feel the criticism (and it was extremely scornful) was very unfair. She did the best with what she was given, and she should be praised for it. The problem is not the color of her skin, its the age. She is supposed to be in her sixties, and yet Saldana is actually younger than David Oyelowo! They really couldn't find an older actress?At times the movie was painfully boring, badly paced and perhaps unintentionally funny. 5 out 10.

atotheron77 Everything you wouldn't want to see in a film about Nina Simone. While Zoe Saldana might get a C+ for effort, one wonders if there were any mirrors anywhere on set or if she figured CGI would fix her appearance; although, the problems with this abysmal film are greater than Zoe's horrific makeup. The story is disjointed and focuses on absolutely arbitrary parts of Nina's life. There is no depth or realness to Cynthia Mort's vision of Nina and - considering the subject matter - that's an injustice. It could be considered an accomplishment that Mort was able to create a film about Nina Simone that leaves the viewer feeling nothing at all. Perhaps the worst part of the film is how ugly they made Nina. While she might not have been what's considered conventionally pretty, Nina possessed an elegant beauty that was a powerful part of her performance. Nina Simone was a beautiful woman and to turn her into a creature from the blackface lagoon in a biopic is unforgivable.

Trustworthy Reviewer Before you accuse me of being a social justice warrior, just try watching the first 10mins of this movie. Casting is not the only crime committed by movie (although it is hard to look past) but pacing, storytelling and overall cinematic quality fall to represent Mrs. Nina Simone.This movie does not portray the elegance in her artistry or why she mattered. This movie will forever be remembered for MODERN DAY BLACKFACE.I was half expecting an apology to Nina Simone and her family before the end credits.How is this movie sitting at 5 out of 10 stars?Shame on you Hollywood