Beyond the Lights

It sounds like chick-flick hell: A stage mother (Minnie Driver) pushes her Rihanna-like daughter (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) so hard that the kid almost dives off a hotel balcony before her first album drops. In Bodyguard style, a decent cop (Nate Parker) shows up to save her. To everyones surprise, especially mine, the clichs yield a remarkably engrossing love story with the wit to know truth from twaddle. Writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who performed similar magic with Love & Basketball (2000), knows her way around the business of show and showing off. The details ring deep and true.After her start as a biracial Brit tyke in a cheap music competition her a cappella version of Nina Simones Blackbird is a heartbreaker Noni (Mbatha-Raw) builds a career through face-down, ass-up packaging. Mom doesnt mind as long as shes the one doing the exploiting. Its Noni who balks at faking S&M sex onstage with her white-rapper lover (Colson Machine Gun Kelly Baker). She yearns to let out her natural voice.

Prince-Bythewood is stingingly astute at what fame does to objectify women. Low self-esteem leads to Nonis suicide attempt. Its Kaz (Parker), an L.A. cop with political ambitions, who talks her off the ledge. Their romance is far from storybook. Her mom wants him gone. So does his cop dad (Danny Glover). There are times when Noni and Kaz dont see a future in each other.

Theres enough plot here to sink a soap opera, but the actors prevail. Parker is a no-bull charmer. Driver leaves bite marks on her juicy role. And Mbatha-Raw, so good this year in Belle, is dynamite. The dark fires she reveals under Nonis cool exterior singe the screen. Even her R&B/hip-hop singing hits the mark in songs by the-Dream. Mbatha-Raw has been nominated with the likes of Julianne Moore and Patricia Arquette for a Gotham Independent Film Award. Shes a shining new star. Beyond the Lights brims with surprises that befit the title. Its electrifying.