I really enjoyed this movie. I read that the director decided to take more of a comedic approach to telling this story - and there is some humour in there, but I overall it's definitely a drama - and a pretty good one.
The only reason I can think of for the negative reviews is that some people thought it'd be more like the commitments and judges it on that.
The only reason I can think of for the negative reviews is that some people thought it'd be more like the commitments and judges it on that.