The documentary depicts the life of the late jazz musician and classical pianist Nina Simone including her rise to fame and relationship with her manager Clifton Henderson, who helps her rediscover her love for music.
Saldana does a fine job of delivering the lyrics -- a daunting task for any actress required to step into those vocals, but fans of Simone will be aching for the real deal.
Respectfully factual in its over-all contours but sensational and sentimental nonetheless, the movie reduces Simone's life to clichés about hope; it replaces the creative drive with the commercial one, the artist with the celebrity.
The word on this Nina Simone biopic has been so toxic for so long - it was filmed in 2012 but only released now - I was really hoping to find something good in it. No luck.
While Saldana gives her very best in trying to embody the essence of Miss Simone with equal support from co-star David Oyelowo, both are confined to a weak script and for Saldana, probably the worst makeup job she's had on the big screen.
Zoe Saldana's woeful casting is just one of a myriad of reasons to despise Nina, as its plot and characterization fail to glean any insight into the iconic musician and Civil Rights activist.
An insult to the legacy of the High Priestess of Soul, those looking for a richer exploration of the woman, artist, activist and legend, are best served elsewhere.
