Lifetime’s Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B movie arrived on the small screen last night (Nov. 15) and unfortunately met its low expectations. After Aaliyah’s family announced that they were not involved, the excitement for Babygirl’s story to be told turned to uncertainty and doubt. Last night, naysayers were proved right and bashed the flick all over social media. Though Aaliyah, played by Alexandra Shipp, was depicted as sweet, determined and in control of her career, the film was far from impressive. Her fans were not the only ones p##### off; Timbaland hated it too. Check out five thoughts on why this film was a disappointment.
Family Matters
Her family should have been involved. Since they refused give Lifetime rights to Aaliyah’s catalog, the network was forced to use awful background music that sounded like it came from a karaoke machine. Hearing Alexandra Shipp do all the singing made viewers long to hear Aaliyah’s voice even more.The movie also lacked an authentic feel, something that could have been achieved if the actors had heartfelt conversations with her parents, siblings and loved ones.
R.Kelly Is A Creep
Just when we almost forgot about his sex scandal, we were reminded that R.Kelly is a creep. It was disturbing watching the 28-year-old producer fall in love with a 15-year-old Aaliyah. Watching what should have stayed a schoolgirl crush grow into a love story was cringe worthy. Twitter also alleged that the film conflicted with how Aaliyah’s parents actually found out about her marriage. Music writer for the Los Angeles Times Gerrick Kennedy tweeted that her parents intercepted when she and Kelly were getting off a plane for their honeymoon. Eww.
Aaliyah’s Style Is Missed
One thing that was eye-catching during the first half of the movie was the reenactment of Aaliyah’s fashion sense. The baggy jeans and tight tube tops all via Tommy Hilfiger evoked a nostalgia for 90s threads.
The Script And The Cast Need A Do-Over
The script was dull, routine and had a few corny moments (R. Kelly bigging himself up as if he was too big to work with Aaliyah was a bit much). The speeches about how she was destined to be a star and the cliche-feel of her and Dame Dash’s first encounter were so predictable that this writer felt awkwardly embarrassed for the network. To make things worse, the actors that filled in for her longtime collaborators Missy Elliott and Timbaland were far from believable. Chattrisse Dolabaille, who played Missy, was lacking the “Supa Dupa Fly” rapper’s signature finger waves and the plus-size frame she had back in the 90s. Timbaland’s portrayal by Izaak Smith had viewers scratching their heads as well. They didn’t quite hit it on the head with casting Dame Dash’s character either, but they tried. Did anyone notice that the actor that played her brother, A.J Saudin, looks like Drake?
More About Nothing
This biopic was the script to her Behind The Music. We didn’t learn anything new or uncanny about the singer, besides her naive love for R. Kelly and even that became boring. Without her family’s input, this was the best Lifetime could do. Unfortunately, their best wasn’t good enough.