Joyful Noise

Stars: Queen Latiifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, Jesse L Martin, Courtney B Vance, Dexter Darden, Angela Grovey, Kris Kristofferson

Director: Todd Graff

Although it's not a terribly good film, this was something of a guilty pleasure for me. I love Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton and both are in good voice (even if there's little chemistry between them) in this story of a southern-states church choir trying to win a national competition (the Noise of the title).

It's also interesting to see Keke Palmer (the kid from Akeelah and the Bee), as a teenager developing into a stirring singer. Good as well to see her romance with Dolly's screen son Jeremy jackson (also in fine voice), treated as young love with no reference whatsoever to the girl being black and the boy white.

But, heigh ho, I have to admit that the characters here are all too good to be true (even Law and Order's Jesse L Martin as Latifah's errant husband) and the script painful, except for a sharpish spat between Dolly and Latifah towards the end, as the pair exchange some tasty insults.

Get yourself a bag of popcorn and a big coke, sit back and enjoy it. Purists and sugar-haters beware.

David Quinlan

USA 2012. UK Distributor: Warner Brothers. Technicolor.
117 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 25 Jun 2012