Nina (2016)

The story of the late jazz musician and classical pianist Nina Simone including her rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson.

Director:

Cynthia Mort

Writer:

Cynthia Mort

Stars:

Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo, Kevin Mambo

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Zoe Saldana	...	Nina Simone
David Oyelowo	...	Clifton Henderson
Kevin Mambo	...	Gilles, Lead Guitarist
Ronald Guttman	...	Henri Edwards
Chuma Gault	...	Nina's Husband
Allison Sarofim	...	Head Nurse
Mike Epps	...	Richard Pryor
Keith David	...	Clifton's Father
Ella Joyce	...	Clifton's Mom
Stevens Gaston	...	Clifton's Brother
Fred Cassidy	...	Customs Agent
Jessica Oyelowo	...	Nurse
Anthony Molinari	...	Cop #1
Ella Thomas	...	Lorraine Hansbury
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Recital Stage Woman

Storyline

The story of the late jazz musician and classical pianist Nina Simone including her rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson.

---

Plot Keywords:

one word title | biographical | written by director | title directed by female | african american | 

---

Taglines:

Singer. Activist. Survivor. Legend.

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

22 April 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nina Simone

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ealing Studios Entertainment, Ealing Studios, Londinium Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In May 2014, director Cynthia Mort sued production company Ealing Studios Enterprises Limited for breach of her director deal. Mort, who got approval rights over the final shooting script, the cast and crew, the line producer, the designer and all department heads and was given consulting rights on advertising, distribution, shooting schedule and budget, was removed by the production company during the editing process in June 2013 and wasn't consulted about subsequent cuts and changes. Mort's previous cuts were abandoned. Mort claims that therefore the final film version doesn't reflect her vision of Simone as a woman, musician and civil rights activist.

User Reviews

Wafer fin, badly chosen time period.

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.