The High Note

The High Note is a 2020 American comedy-drama film directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by Flora Greeson. The film stars Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Zoë Chao, Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, and Ice Cube, and follows a famous singer’s personal assistant who wants to become a music producer.

The High Note
Official promotional poster
Directed byNisha Ganatra
Produced by
Written byFlora Greeson
Starring
Music byAmie Doherty
CinematographyJason McCormick
Edited byWendy Greene Bricmont
Production
company
Distributed byFocus Features
Release date
  • May 29, 2020 (2020-05-29) (United States)
Running time
113 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget~$20 million[2]
Box office$2 million[lower-alpha 1]

The High Note was released in select theaters, drive-in theaters, and through video on demand on May 29, 2020, by Focus Features. It received mixed reviews from critics, although the cast was praised.

Plot

Maggie Sherwoode is the longtime personal assistant to legendary R&B singer Grace Davis who still has a successful touring career despite not releasing new material for a decade. Maggie is also an aspiring music producer, remixing Grace's songs in her free time. Grace's manager, Jack Robertson, believes that her time has passed and she should accept a Las Vegas residency and continue releasing live albums rather than record new material.

At a grocery store, Maggie meets aspiring musician David Cliff and watches him perform outdoors. He invites her to a party at his place, where to her surprise she learns that despite slumming it as a musician he is quite wealthy. Impressed by his voice, she lies about being a professional producer and offers to work with him on an album. He accepts and the two begin work together with Maggie coaching him through his nerves.

Grace is displeased when a popular music producer remixes one of her songs to modernize it with excessive synths and pop elements. Appalled, Maggie shows Grace her own version of the song, and Grace decides to release Maggie's version, without payment or credit. While Maggie is pleased to be producing for Grace, Jack pulls her aside to reveal how her tactlessness ruined potential future deals. Grace later expresses her interest in recording a new album to her record label. They discourage the idea and push her towards the Vegas residency to Grace's embarrassment. Maggie encourages Grace to disregard the label and create new material but Grace lectures her on how women of her age and race rarely succeed in music.

Maggie and David begin a romance as recording for his demo comes to a close. At the same time, Maggie learns that Ariana Grande has backed out of opening for Grace's album launch. She initially books Dan Deakins to open for Grace before realizing the album launch would be the perfect place for David to perform his songs. She enlists Dan's assistant to help but is surprised when Dan himself, after listening to David's songs, decides to step away to allow him to perform.

The night of the party, Maggie tells Jack and Grace that Dan has backed out and promises to fix it. She then asks David, who believed they were going on a date, to sing. After hearing that the party is for Grace Davis, David leaves in a huff, refusing to perform. Maggie tells Jack and Grace she was unable to deliver a backup performer and Grace berates her, mocking her ambitions to become a producer when she cannot even succeed as an assistant before firing her.

Maggie moves back home with her dad Max, a radio DJ, and starts planning her future. After encouragement from her father, Maggie reaches out to David to continue work on their album and to Grace to thank her for her time working for her. At the same time, Grace realizes that she misses Maggie who was a faithful assistant who never used her.

Grace arrives at Maggie's home and reluctantly offers a roundabout apology. After complimenting her production work on the live album, she reveals that she has never worked with a female producer before but wants Maggie to be the first, also telling her that she has begun writing new material. As she is singing for Maggie, David arrives. Before Maggie can introduce them to one another, David reveals that Grace is his estranged mother, something she has kept from the public. David also tells Maggie that Dan Deakins has been passing around his material leading him to receive an offer of representation from a studio.

Later on, David performs at a music festival. He asks Grace to join him on stage, revealing she is his mother, and the two sing a duet as Maggie watches. Later in the studio, Maggie produces Grace's new album.

Cast

Production

Flora Greeson's screenplay, then titled Covers, was featured in the 2018 Black List, compiling the best unproduced scripts of said year. In February 2019, it was announced Nisha Ganatra would direct the film. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner would serve as producers on the film under their Working Title Films banner.[5] In May 2019, it was announced Dakota Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Zoë Chao had joined the cast of the film.[6][7] Ice Cube and June Diane Raphael were added in June.[8][9] Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard and Diplo were added to the cast.[10]

Principal photography began in May 2019 around Los Angeles.[11] In February 2020, the film was re-titled The High Note.[12]

Soundtrack

The High Note soundtrack was released on May 29, 2020 through Republic, Universal. The lead single titled "Love Myself" by Ross was released on May 15.[13]

Release

The High Note was released in select theaters, drive-in theaters and through video on demand on May 29, 2020.[14] It was originally scheduled for a wide theatrical release on May 8, 2020, but due to movie theater closures that started in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, it was cancelled.[15]

Reception

Theatrical run

The film played at about 50 theaters (mostly drive-ins) in its opening weekend, making $87,800.[16] In its third weekend it made $59,000 from 64 theaters, for a running total of $293,000.[17] By June 28, the film had grossed $420,000 in the United States.[3]

The film was also released in several overseas countries with relaxed COVID-19 theater restrictions, including South Korea, the Netherlands and France, and grossed $1.6 million, as of July 30.[4][18]

VOD sales

In its opening weekend, The High Note was the second-most rented film on FandangoNow, third-most from the iTunes Store, and 11th-most on Prime Video.[19][2] In its second weekend the film fell to fourth on FandangoNow and 10th on iTunes, but ranked second on Spectrum.[20][21] It remained in the top 10 on all services in its third weekend.[22] After lowering its rental price, the film returned to the 10-spot on FandangoNow and Apple TV in mid-July.[23][24]

Critical response

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 6.08/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The High Note doesn't quite soar above rom-com formula, but audiences seeking some comfort viewing should find themselves solidly in harmony with this well-acted genre entry."[25] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[26]

Writing for Forbes, Scott Mendelson gave the film a positive review, writing: "It's leisurely-paced, relatively grounded and rooted in the specific pleasures of watching good actors play nice people who deal with their specific conflicts as nicely as possible."[27]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety said the film "can't decide if it's a behind-the-music-industry drama or a go-for-your-dream fairy tale" and that "the feel-good factor hovers over this movie like a fuzzy bland cloud."[28]

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References
  1. "The High Note". BBFC. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  2. Brueggemann, Tom (June 1, 2020). "'The High Note' Starts Strong on VOD as Netflix's 'Lovebirds' Drops Fast". IndieWire. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  3. Anthony D'Alessandro (June 30, 2020). "'Zootopia' Leads At Weekend Box Office Still Hampered By COVID-19". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  4. "The High Note (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  5. Kroll, Justin (February 7, 2019). "Nisha Ganatra Sets Next Directing Gig After 'Late Night' Makes Big Sundance Splash (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  6. N'Duka, Amanda (May 20, 2019). "Dakota Johnson & Tracee Ellis Ross Tapped To Star In 'Covers' At Focus Features".
  7. N'Duka, Amanda (May 23, 2019). "Kelvin Harrison Jr., Zoe Chao Join Dakota Johnson & Tracee Ellis Ross In Music-Centric Comedy 'Covers'".
  8. Fleming, Mike, Jr. (June 19, 2019). "Ice Cube Joins 'Covers,' Negotiates To Team With Dave Bautista In 'The Killer's Game'".
  9. N'Duka, Amanda (June 24, 2019). "June Diane Raphael Boards 'Covers' Comedy From Focus Features & Working Title".
  10. Hipes, Patrick (July 25, 2019). "Bill Pullman, Eddie Izzard, Diplo Join 'Covers' Comedy".
  11. "Dakota Johnson – "Covers" Movie Set in Hollywood 05/30/2019". Celeb Mafia. May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  12. "Focus Features Acquires Worldwide Rights to Sundance Hit KAJILLIONAIRE". Broadway World. February 6, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  13. Spanos, Brittany (May 15, 2020). "Tracee Ellis Ross Debuts 'Love Myself' From Film 'The High Note'".
  14. N'Duka, Amanda (May 4, 2020). "Focus Features Sets Digital Release For 'The High Note' Starring Tracee Ellis Ross & Dakota Johnson". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  15. McClintock, Pamela (August 25, 2019). "Todd Haynes' 'Dark Waters' Lands November Release; Nisha Ganatra's 'Covers' Opens in Summer 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
  16. Anthony D'Alessandro (June 3, 2020). "The 'Trolls World Tour' Has Held The No. 1 Spot At The Box Office Since Opening, Not 'The Wretched' – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  17. Anthony D'Alessandro (June 8, 2020). "'Invisible Man' Reclaims No. 1 In Weekend 16 As Universal Owns Bulk Of Top 10 Despite 'King Of Staten Island' Sitting Out". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  18. "The High Note (2020) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  19. Roweles, Dustin (June 1, 2020). "Box Office: 'The High Note' & The Most-Watched Movies At Home This Weekend". Uproxx. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  20. Brueggemann, Tom (June 8, 2020). "Universal Continues VOD Reign with Upcoming 'The King of Staten Island'". IndieWire. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  21. Roweles, Dustin (June 7, 2020). "Box Office: The Weekend's Most-Watched New Movie Sits At 0% On Rotten Tomatoes". Uproxx. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  22. Brueggemann, Tom (June 15, 2020). "Da 5 Bloods,' 'The King of Staten Island,' and 'Becky' Are This Week's Blockbusters". IndieWire. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  23. Brueggemann, Tom (July 13, 2020). "'The Old Guard' Opens to Number One on Netflix as 'The Outpost' Flies High Again on VOD". IndieWire. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
  24. Brueggemann, Tom (July 27, 2020). "'The Rental' Is Second Film Ever to Be #1 on Both Theatrical and VOD Charts at Same Time". IndieWire. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  25. "The High Note (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  26. "The High Note Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  27. Mendelson, Scott (May 25, 2020). "Dakota Johnson And Tracee Ellis Ross' 'The High Note' Is A Charming Musical Dramedy (Review)". Forbes. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  28. Gleiberman, Owen (May 25, 2020). "'The High Note': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved May 28, 2020.

Notes
  1. Although many theaters around the world closed due to COVID-19 and the film went to VOD, The High Note played domestically at several theaters, grossing $420,000 by June 28,[3] as well as $1.6 million from foreign territories, as of July 30.[4] These figures do not include the revenue made from VOD sales.
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