This is a list big on laughs, keeping the sadness to a minimum. There are some recognizable titles in here, mixed in with lesser-known gems that deserve public attention.
HBO’s “Bessie,” premiering Saturday on the network, is a
flawed drama that nonetheless warrants a look simply because of the bright
spotlight it gives the underrated talents of star Queen Latifah, who does quite
easily the best work of her career here. This sexually-charged, intense look at
Blues icon Bessie Smith often feels defiantly episodic, as if
co-writer/director Dee Rees is purposefully trying to sketch a portrait of a
life in incomplete brush strokes, but Latifah, who is in nearly every scene,
never falters in her portrayal of a woman who was too edgy, too real, and too