“Sparkle” and “Nobody Else But You”

"Sparkle" (TriStar): As unnecessary remakes go, "Sparkle" ranks relatively high on the list. Moving the action from 1950s Harlem to 1960s Detroit (an homage to "Dreamgirls" or a rip-off?), "Sparkle" tells the rags to drugs to (potential) riches story of a sister act and their fanatical and controlling mother.

Sparkle (Jordin Sparks, whose limited acting chops make Beyonce look like Viola Davis) is the songwriting kid sister of Sister (Carmen Ejogo), aka Tammy, and Dee (Tika Sumpter). The singing sisters live at home with their Bible wielding single mother Emma (the late Whitney Houston) and sneak out of the house to perform in night clubs. Sister, who has returned home after a failed marriage and Dee, who plans to leave home to attend medical school, are supportive of Sparkle's goals and talents. When ambitious talent manager Stix (Derek Luke) offers to lend a hand in the management and booking of the trio and get them an important gig, they agree to do let him.

But Emma isn't the only thing standing in the way of Sister and Her Sisters' (really, that's the name they go by) path to stardom. Sister shuns the romantic advances of Stix's well-intentioned cousin Levi (Omari Hardwick) because the brother's broke. Instead she hooks up with sleazy comic Satin (Mike Epps – how is it that this man continues to get work?), who not only showers her in jewels and furs, but also insults her Emma to her face. Satin eventually introduces Sister to cocaine and physical abuse.

As Sister's life spirals out of control, Sparkle is being courted by Stix. She and Dee also try their best to save Sister and not become completely alienated from Emma. But drugs and domestic abuse are a lethal combination and it's only a matter of time before disaster and death make an appearance.

Ultimately this is a story about the power of music (be it soul or gospel) and the way it can be a source of comfort and so much more. The music performance scenes, including Houston's nearly ecstatic rendition of "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," are the best part of the movie. The remake wisely includes a handful of the Curtis Mayfield compositions from the original, including "Something He Can Feel". Unfortunately, the newer material can't hold a candle to those songs.

Director Salim Akil, who makes Tyler Perry seem like Robert Altman, overuses slo-mo and makes a variety of questionable decisions throughout the film. But he does deserve credit for getting a relatively controlled performance out of Houston. When all is said (or sung) and done, "Sparkle" doesn't even "Glitter".

"Nobody Else But You" (First Run Features): The mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of regional star Candice (Sophie Quinton), a weather girl and cheese pitch person with a Marilyn Monroe obsession, is at the heart of this quirky and sexy murder mystery. David (Jean-Paul Rouve), considered to the French James Ellroy, finds himself in the frigid French town of Mouthe, also known as "Little Siberia," for the disappointing reading of a relative's will.

The cold temps don't do much for David's writer's block, but he has arrived just as Candice's body is discovered in the snow by a skier. Dismissed as a suicide by police captain Colbert (Olivier Rabourdin), David is unconvinced. Although he initially gets off to a bad start with gay police officer Leloup (hot Guillaume Gouix), their relationship evolves and they make an unlikely duo on a quest to solve the mystery of Candice's death.

The series of creepy parallels that emerge between Candice and Marilyn, including marriage to and divorce from an athlete (Gus played by Lyès Salem), a relationship with a writer (Simon played by Eric Ruf), not to mention an illicit affair with the (regional) President (Burdeau portrayed by Ken Samuels), only serve to enhance the intrigue. Was her death a self-fulfilling prophecy? Regardless, it serves as inspiration for David.

Co-writer and director Gérald Hustache-Mathieu strikes an easy balance between the comedic and mysterious elements of the story. He has also found the right French version of Marilyn in Quinton, as well as the embodiment of the grizzled writer in Rouve, who recalls Daniel Craig in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." "Nobody Else But You" is recommended viewing. ("Nobody Else But You" plays the Gene Siskel Film Center on State Street in Chicago from Aug. 24-30.)