When Aretha Franklin was chosen as the 3rd entry in National Geographic's Genius miniseries, I was a bit perplexed. She's a great vocalist and musician, but a genius on the same level as Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso? Then again, I am not artistically inclined and I knew very little of Picasso. The series encouraged me to learn more about the art and Picasso.
When Genius works well, it let us understand their demons and how their mind works. So with an open mind, I streamed the first two episodes.
Aside from a handful of hit songs, I admit to not being familiar with Aretha Franklin. The first installment is relatively subdued and it does not splash her talents at full throttle just yet. Young Aretha has potentials, but not a full blown prodigy like Mozart was in Amadeus. Instead, we are introduced to Aretha and her influential father, C.L. Franklin.
On this premier episode, Aretha is safely guarded by her father and her family. Racial tension is briefly hinted, but she is ultimately in a safe place. We witness how her surroundings slowly develop and influence her musically. Aretha is perfectly played by Cynthia Erivo and Shaian Jordan as the young.
This episode is cautious but technically well made. I remain cautiously optimistic.
Review by nutmacBlockedParent2021-03-24T23:49:10Z— updated 2021-04-09T20:40:51Z
When Aretha Franklin was chosen as the 3rd entry in National Geographic's Genius miniseries, I was a bit perplexed. She's a great vocalist and musician, but a genius on the same level as Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso? Then again, I am not artistically inclined and I knew very little of Picasso. The series encouraged me to learn more about the art and Picasso.
When Genius works well, it let us understand their demons and how their mind works. So with an open mind, I streamed the first two episodes.
Aside from a handful of hit songs, I admit to not being familiar with Aretha Franklin. The first installment is relatively subdued and it does not splash her talents at full throttle just yet. Young Aretha has potentials, but not a full blown prodigy like Mozart was in Amadeus. Instead, we are introduced to Aretha and her influential father, C.L. Franklin.
On this premier episode, Aretha is safely guarded by her father and her family. Racial tension is briefly hinted, but she is ultimately in a safe place. We witness how her surroundings slowly develop and influence her musically. Aretha is perfectly played by Cynthia Erivo and Shaian Jordan as the young.
This episode is cautious but technically well made. I remain cautiously optimistic.