'Giving Hope: The Ni'Cola Mitchell Story' Review: Tatyana Ali gives magnetic performance in Lifetime docu
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Lifetime has recently released a very inspiring documentary on the life of an author and role model for young girls worldwide. 'Giving Hope: The Ni'Cola Mitchell Story' revolves around the life of Ni'Cola Mitchell, who after surviving traumatizing sexual violence in her life, grew up to become a leader, giving hope to all the lost young women in society.
Directed by Alpha Nicky Mulowa and written by Adam Rockoff, the documentary sheds light on many different aspects through its compelling storyline about how Ni'Cola Mitchell was able to endure and thrive in her life regardless of the hardships she went through. This story is about becoming a fighter and finding your true path in life, regardless of where you come from.
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A structured and to-the-point storyline
Quite often documentaries can go wrong in a lot of different cases. Writers either tend to drag a particular concept for too long or sometimes they miss out on exploring a few key ideas. This wasn't the case with 'Giving Hope: The Ni'Cola Mitchell Story'. Even though the tone of the film wasn't as harsh or tough as one might expect, the documentary was very well laid out. The creators were able to show the audience Ni'Cola's entire journey in a very well-thought-out script: from her struggle of making it into college while also being a single mother, to writing her first novel. The creators brilliantly depicted her sexual violence in a quiet and sensitive manner. The audience was able to truly process the impact of the horrific incident while also enjoying seeing the rise of the protagonist. We also saw Ni'Cola's struggles while battling cancer, which became a significant point of the character arch, and for all the right reasons too! Leaders, as fierce as they are, also have their moments of weakness, and it's important for all young girls, and children to know that at that moment, it's okay to feel lost. The important part is to surround yourself with the right people who help you find yourself back. In the end, the storyline and the scenes, matched up to the potential although the tone of the film seemed to fall short of setting the severity of the issue that was being talked about.
Praise-worthy performances
Tatyana Ali, who plays the lead character in this documentary, Ni'Cola Mitchell was able to perfectly bring out different elements that the role demanded. She was quite elegant in her acting skills throughout the entire film, helping the audience grow a trusting relationship with her. She, like Ni'Cola, had shown all the various qualities that make up a good leader- she showed empathy with patience and perseverance, she never backed down from a hurdle, and showed love and respect to each and every girl present in her events and most of all, she was bold enough to see the power in truth. Not only that, Tatyana was able to show the character's self-doubt in a time of great weakness which led to her great finish at the end of the movie. Kudakwashe Rutendo, who plays her daughter, Diamond has also shown great potential in her role as a supporting actress in the film. Even though her character didn't relieve any major, impactful moments, she played well with whatever was given to her. Even Nadine Whiteman Roden, who plays Ni'Cola's elder sister, does a great job throughout the film. She was able to garner trust and loving emotions from everywhere around and one could feel the bond between the two sisters which came off amazingly on the screens. All in all, Tatyana Ali along with others truly came off as magnetic in this short and crisp documentary.