After her untimely death, Whitney Houston’s final film Sparkle was released Friday, Aug. 17.  The singer, who died February 11, 2012, at the age of 48, would have found this film to be a path back to the limelight.
    Directed by T.D. Jakes, the musical film also stars pop singer Jordin Sparks as Sparkle, one of the singers in a 1960s era girl group known as Sister and Her Sisters.  Derek Luke stars as Stix, the group’s manager and romantic interest of one of the singers, and Mike Epps plays Satin, a seemingly wealthy and nice guy who portrays himself as something very different than he really is, but that changes as the movie progresses. 
    The movie shows the glitz and glamour of fame as well as the ugly side of drug use which sometimes accompanies that fame.  The movie also shows the struggle to be successful and to persevere in tough situations. 
    If there was a specific theme of the movie, it would have to be to not trust everyone and to be leery of what may seem like a good thing.  The movie never had a dull moment or weak spot.  This film will definitely keep the audience’s eyes glued to the screen. 
    In every scene there is something exciting to grab your attention and keep it throughout the entire film.  The acting was impeccable, and the cast seemed to work well together. 
    The time period was reflected well throughout the film from the clothing of the characters, the décor of the sets, to the slang of the characters’ speech and the style of music the girls sang.  In addition to the dramatic and real-life quality of the storyline, the depiction of the 1960s gave the movie an authentic feel. 
    Overall, the movie was great and definitely worth your time to view it.