The low budget indie film The Dempsey Sisters has come to DVD with a story of getting one’s life on track and bonding for friendship. The film gets very predictable after the first ten minutes and then settles down for an average bit of fun and entertainment. It would have been a lot better if more songs were used in the production, especially with this exceptional cast noted for their musical talent.
Deena (Denyce Lawton) has been working as an assistant to Olivia (Lynn Whitfield) and one day out of the blue she gets fired. Not because she has been late getting to work, but Oliva thinks she’s on the wrong path and is not happy with her job or her life. Lost on what to do next she confides in her sisters Sheena (Teairra Mari) and Tina (Cymphonique Miller), both working for a local spa. During their visit their older brother Thad (Antwon Tanner) turns up at Deena’s house with his wife Ava (Taj En’Phiniti) who he newly married in a private wedding. The three girls are upset to find out the news, but Thad who’s been living in Miami needs a place to stay in Atlanta. He’s there to take present a hot talent to a record company. After much ado about relationships between the siblings, Thad finds a way to solve all their problems.
The film plays out in “made for TV” fashion with a lot of interaction between the characters. Director Roger Melvin who directed 13 Television films and series fosters Sid Powel’s script direct to home video. However, I’m totally in shock at the film being so ordinary and so much could have been done to rase it above a mundane TV matinee. At the center of the story are three singing divas at the beginning of their careers with a one song wonder. Yet the cast includes some of the top vocalists of today including singer/songwriter Taj En’Phiniti, Hip Hop legend MC Lyte, R&B singer Teairra Mari and Singer/Songwriter Cymphonique Miller. With just a few tweaks of making the film more of a musical that includes some of their songs it would have been totally a winner.
On the bright side, the song “Can’t Nobody” performed by Cymphonique featuring Teairra Mari sparks the otherwise average movie. In one awesome scene worth watching the two belt out the best four minutes of the movie. Worth renting the film from Redbox or downloading from Amazon, the nicely choreographed number depicts the characters Ava, Tina and Sheena performing at a special party.
The Dempsey Sisters has not been rated by the MPAA but treat it like a PG for the drama within the movie. Otherwise it’s for the whole family, but mostly soap opera fans.
FINAL ANALYSIS: An average made for TV soap opera with a spark of success. (C)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Denyce Lawton, Cymphonique Miller, Teairra Mari, Lynn Whitfield, Taj En’Phiniti, MC Lyte, Clifton Powell, and Antwon Tanner
Director: Roger Melvin
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Drama, Family
Running Time: 1 hr. 29 min.
Video Release Date: September 8, 2015
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound
Video: Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Alchemy
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
