Mary J. Blige Set To Play Nina Simone
By Russ Fischer/May 16, 2010 4:44 pm EST
Variety explains that Cynthia Mort, who wrote Neil Jordan’s rather terrible The Brave One, will write and direct Nina, which for years has been a passion project for Blige. (The film was announced in 2005.) The singer probably has the pipes to impersonate Nina Simone, though I’m not sure if she can act the part. She’s committed to the idea, which is great, but being passionate about a project isn’t always enough.
Still, Simone is one of the more wonderful musical icons our country has produced, and I’d love to see more people discover her music. If this film can do that, I guess I’ll take it.
With respect to focusing on her relationship with her assistant, there are still a lot of possibilities. Simone (born Eunice Kathleen Waymon) had an amazing life that is far more than I can sum up here. She was a pianist, developed a singing career almost by accident, and established herself as a strong-willed cultural voice, civil rights activist, and female icon. If the film covers one period of her life there will still be ample opportunity to look back at other events.
