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Parents' Guide to

Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Bland biopic with a few mature references.

Movie NR 2015 90 minutes
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Hip-hop and R&B fans also will enjoy the music, and the movie successfully underscores that Aaliyah's music lives on. Based on Christopher Farley's book, Aaliyah: More Than a Woman, the movie highlights some key moments in the singer's professional and personal life, including her alleged secret marriage to R. Kelly when she was only 15 and her decision to work with then little-known producer Timbaland and rapper Missy Elliott on her second album. It also features lots of full-length musical presentations, many of which are reenactments of some of Aaliyah's most notable live performances, while others recreate what it was like for her in the recording studio.

The gaps between these moments are often quite big and make the narrative feel fragmented and superficial. Meanwhile, attempts to inspire through dramatized conversations between Aaliyah and her family drag on. But fans of the late singer will be drawn to it and may find the background on Aaliyah's relationships with now well-known artists interesting.

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