Jordin Sparks, left, stars as the singer Sparkle and Whitney Houston plays her mother, Emma. Courtesy Stage 6 Films
Jordin Sparks, left, stars as the singer Sparkle and Whitney Houston plays her mother, Emma. Courtesy Stage 6 Films

Sparkle: Whitney Houston gives a poignant final performance



Director: Salim Akil

Starring: Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo
***

It is impossible to view this likeable, breezy remake without homing in on the late Whitney Houston. The singer, who died suddenly while the film was in post-production in February, had long wanted to revive the 1976 hit musical that had inspired her as a teenager. Not surprisingly, it was being prepped as a comeback vehicle for the star, last seen on screen in 1996's

The Preacher's Wife

.

Thankfully, Houston (also the film's executive producer) comes across well in her final performance. Yes, her voice is hoarse and raspy, but her screen presence is very much intact. She looks positively vibrant - delighted, in fact, to be back in the saddle.

She plays Emma, a stern mother of three girls who want to do more than sing in their local church.

This fresh take on

Sparkle

opts for the looser, racier environs of 1960s Detroit over the original's darker, 1950s Harlem vibe. The most confident of the three girls, Sister (Carmen Ejogo), is all shimmying and sultry soul. The meek youngest sister, Sparkle (Jordin Sparks), quietly writes the songs. The middle sister, Dee (Tika Sumpter), is the most pragmatic of the three.

The original

Sparkle

was a blueprint for the similarly themed

Dreamgirls

(itself a fictionalised account of the rise of The Supremes), and like any rags-to-riches tale, pain and heartache are required before redemption and a resolution are found. Sister soon suffers at the hands of the oily Satin (Mike Epps), a comedian-turned-drug pusher whose violent behaviour recalls the brilliant but brutal figure of Ike Turner. Similarly, Sparkle admonishes her mother for being "laid up in your own vomit" when they were kids, which must have felt painfully close to the bone for Houston, given those ugly paparazzi photos of her later years.

Such stuff pales in comparison, though, to the most poignant of lines, which Houston herself utters. "Was my life not enough of a cautionary tale for you?" she says to her girls, seemingly as unaware as they were of the events that would unfold. Houston's muted but committed performance of the hymn

His Eye is on the Sparrow

at the end serves as a sad but rousing farewell.

Attention will undoubtedly also tend towards the

American Idol

winner Jordin Sparks (who, like

Dreamgirls

's Jennifer Hudson before her, delivers a solid turn on screen) and Ejogo, whose powerhouse performance as Sister is so astonishing you'll wonder where she's been hiding (expect to see her nominated in the coming months).

There is great music, too, of course, both of the period and (curiously) more current (R Kelly supervises and Cee Lo Green cameos). Visually, the film evokes the 1960s era well enough, even if Martin Luther King Jr's assassination is bizarrely left out.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits

Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine

Storage: 128/256/512GB

Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

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MATCH INFO

What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru

The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S

Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000

Engine: 3.0-litre V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm

Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers

1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.

The specs: 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Price, base: Dh138,000 (estimate)
Engine: 60kWh battery
Transmission: Single-speed Electronic Precision Shift
Power: 204hp
Torque: 360Nm
​​​​​​​Range: 520km (claimed)

The biog

Age: 46

Number of Children: Four

Hobby: Reading history books

Loves: Sports

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How being social media savvy can improve your well being

Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.

As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.

Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.

Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.

However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.

“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.

People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.

Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

Thank You for Banking with Us

Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

The specs: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk


Price, base: Dh399,999
Engine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 707hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 875Nm @ 4,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 16.8L / 100km (estimate)

COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

The line up

Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego  

Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh  

Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

Company%20Profile
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How Beautiful this world is!