I finally watched The High Note, and I really enjoyed most of it. This is one of those movies, however, that made me wish I could edit it into the movie I wanted rather than the movie I got.
Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross) is a middle-aged singing superstar. Maggie Sherwoode (Dakota Johnson) is her hard-working personal assistant with dreams of becoming a music producer. Maggie takes it upon herself to mix Grace’s new live album while simultaneously producing a few tracks from an aspiring musician (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) she meets at the grocery store.
Grace is at a professional crossroads. She has gone a decade without producing new music. Her manager, Jack Robertson (Ice Cube), wants her to take the easy money by signing on for a Las Vegas residency. Grace and Maggie realize Grace’s career might have a little more life left in it. Grace is hesitant, though. There aren’t a lot of women in their 40s creating hit albums.
I am going to start off with a love letter to Tracee Ellis Ross. She has some top-notch screen presence. Her performance in The High Note, especially when she’s in concert performance mode, makes it difficult to believe this is her singing debut. Let me asterisk this love letter with a shoutout to costume designer Jenny Eagan. Grace’s wardrobe was absolutely stunning at every turn.
I loved the story of Grace Davis so much that I wanted the film to be all about her. The beleaguered assistant story has been done over and over again. The middle-aged diva facing her second act is the movie I really wanted.
Speaking of that frustrated assistant, Dakota Johnson’s Maggie isn’t going to receive the same words of affection I shared for Grace. Johnson’s performance was adequate, but not endearing. While I was rooting for Grace throughout the film. I never felt invested in Maggie’s success, outside of its necessity as a vehicle for Grace. There was an imbalance within the character that was never fully resolved. Though she was confident and daring when it came to music production, she was simultaneously insecure and fumbling. As gorgeous as the wardrobe was for Grace, I have all the side-eye in the world for Maggie’s extremely odd sideways tied shirts. Please don’t let this become a thing…
The supporting cast in The High Note provided a lot of the film’s humor. Grace’s house manager Gail (June Diane Raphael) was a particular delight. I would ordinarily criticize her performance as over the top, but watching it was too much fun for me to complain.
The High Note shares a lot with Late Night, director Nisha Ganatra’s previous film. Back-to-back films about middle-aged women in entertainment who challenge, but are ultimately reinvented, by their younger female employees is an interesting choice. The fact is we need more films featuring older female leads, so if there is a little plot overlap I am willing to give it a pass. While I would enjoy a lot more Grace and a lot less Maggie, The High Note is a film worth watching…mostly.
The High Note is available now for digital purchase.
About The High Note
Set in the dazzling world of the LA music scene comes the story of Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross), a superstar whose talent, and ego, have reached unbelievable heights, and Maggie (Dakota Johnson), her overworked personal assistant. While stuck running errands, Maggie still aspires to her childhood dream of becoming a music producer. When Grace’s manager (Ice Cube) presents her with a choice that could alter the course of her career, Maggie and Grace come up with a plan that could change their lives forever.