Movie Review: The High Note (2020)

Genre: Romantic Music Dramedy

Director: Nisha Ganatra

Starring: Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube, Bill Pullman

Running Time: 113 minutes

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, Maggie (Dakota Johnson) is the personal assistant to music legend Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) but has ambitions to become a record producer. Grace's career has plateaued, and her manager Jack Robertson (Ice Cube) is plotting a Vegas residency. Maggie meets promising singer/songwriter David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and helps him in the recording studio. A romance blossoms between them, but Grace notices that her assistant is distracted.

What Works Well: The villain-free plot avoids many romantic comedy cliches, and the focus on in-studio creativity and sound optimization is handled with controlled verve. Dakota Johnson brings an amiable screen presence to Maggie, and Tracee Ellis Ross (Diana's daughter) finds texture beneath a diva's veneer. Ice Cube contributes streaks of gruff humour, while Bill Pullman adds character nuance in a third act appearance as Maggie's father.

What Does Not Work As Well: The mix of music, drama, comedy, and romance never extends beyond a cordial mid-range, and it's eventually painfully obvious that both superstar Grace and potential star David are more interesting than central character Maggie.

Conclusion: A pleasant enough tune, but lacking long-term sonority.

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