By EWAN McDONALD
(Herald rating: * * )
Uh-huh, the movie you really want to see — to find out if it's as bad as everyone says, to see why everyone cracked those jokes on Oscar night, to hear why EMI sacked Mariah Carey and all those people lost their jobs to
pay her off.
This is the rags-to-riches story of Billie Frank, a pop star whose name is probably derived from two of last century's greatest singers, who's from a mixed-race background and a broken home, and whose story is not unlike ... well, not at all unlike that of Mariah Carey.
Played first by Isabel Gomes, young Billie makes her debut in a smoky club, invited to join her singer mother, Lillian (Valarie Pettiford), on stage. Soon after, Lillian falls asleep and burns the house down. Billie is sent to an orphanage where she makes friends with a black, a white and a Puerto Rican.
Years later (this film can be played on fast-forward) grown-up Billie, now played by Carey, is a backing singer for a hack promoted by wannabe record producer (Terrence Howard), with a group of supportive friends who include a ... oh, you guessed. She ghosts the other singer's voice and is spotted by a DJ, Dice (Max Beesley), who buys her contract but forgets to pay for it. Dice takes her to a record contract, a hit single, fame, a story not unlike that of ... oh, you guessed.
Does this mean she'll live happily ever after? Well, we've all seen enough Woman's Day covers featuring Mariah to know that's not going to happen to Billie. As Carey sings a lot and acts a little, Billie's life turns into a sudden rush of unexpected plot developments — and never forget that there's a long-lost mother lurking out in the darkness. Oh, you think you guessed the ending?
Rental video, DVD: Today
• DVD features: movie (103 mins); commentary from director Vondie Curtis-Hall; music videos for Loverboy, Never Too Far; trailers, filmographies.
