The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Bessie
Drama · Music · TV Movie · 2015
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
Movie details
Bessie
“Survival began with a song”
2015 Drama · Music · TV Movie 1h 47m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Bessie?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B
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Born to Be Blue
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Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
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Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.
Good Vibrations
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Honey: Rise Up and Dance
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Street dancer Skyler comes out of the shadow of her trained dancer sister, Tosha, & joins a dance competition with the Honey dance studio; the prize is a college scholarship.
The Doors
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The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.
Rocketman
Music · 2019
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Dee Rees
Written by
Bettina Gilois · Horton Foote · Dee Rees · Christopher Cleveland
Queen Latifah
Bessie Smith
Mo'Nique
Ma Rainey
Mike Epps
Richard
Tika Sumpter
Lucille
Michael Kenneth Williams
Jack Gee
Charles S. Dutton
William 'Pa' Rainey
Bryan Greenberg
John Hammond
Court is in session
Put Bessie on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.