Genius: Aretha
Not everyone was delighted when a Brit was cast as American icon Aretha Franklin, but Cynthia Erivo, from South London, is terrific as the legendary singer and musician, as is Courtney B. Vance, who plays her father, a boozy, womaniser despite being a preacher.
This eight-part drama traces Franklin’s stellar career and begins with her in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in 1967, recording her first album for Atlantic Records after six unsuccessful years with Columbia.
Courtney B. Vance is terrific as Aretha Franklin s father, a boozy, womaniser despite being a preacher. Also stars Shaian Jordan (above, with Vance) as the young Aretha
‘Oslo’ Review: Timely HBO Movie Tackles Landmark Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks Variety 1 hr ago
Perhaps it’s time for another meeting between officials from Israel and Palestine like the series of off-the-books negotiations that took place in Oslo, Norway, back in 1993. Those sessions conducted in secret over nearly six months, since Israeli policy forbade interacting with or otherwise acknowledging the authority of the Palestinian Liberation Organization paid off in a very public handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat, photographed with then-U.S. President Bill Clinton.
But the U.S. had little to do with the Oslo Accords, as J.T. Rogers’ Tony-winning play “Oslo” reminded audiences when it premiered at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater in 2016. The discussions were brokered by a nonpartisan Norwegian couple, which provides a uniquely neutral framing device for an in-depth look at the issues concerning both sides.
Variety’s Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year’s list of contenders in all categories. Variety’s Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year