I remember the casting controversy and was so upset at the time that I had vowed never to watch it. Then recently, after watching Summer of Soul and then the Miss Simone documentary (both excellent) I read the reviews for this one.
I was about to give it 1 star simply because of the casting of Zoe, who I like otherwise. I didn't have anything to put in the comment section so I decided to put the movie on in the background while doing chores etc.
I came away still baffled by the casting decision, but genuinely impressed with the performance! Zoe did a great job despite the distracting makeup etc. Her singing was much better than expected. And oddly enough I felt Nina's presence the strongest during the closing credits especially the way she moved and danced.
I'm really surprised that this movie made me sit down, watch and enjoy it.