I've been waiting for the announcement of a Sam Cooke biopic for years but I'm still estatic to hear that the next best thing could be on the cards with filmmaker Julien Temple set to document the life of soul legend Marvin Gaye. Temple has earnt critical respect in the past both in the film and music industry for his portrayals of iconic punk outfits The Clash and The Sex Pistols and has also directed feature films such as Bullet and Earth Girls Are Easy. Screen Daily report that Temple is to tackle Sexual Healing (or Midnight Love - the site can't seem to decide) but either way a title taken from Marvin Gaye's final recording which the film is set to focus around. EMI hold the rights to Gaye's music have given the greenlight for the $8 million budgeted project to go ahead and shooting is now set to commence in Belgium later this year. The website offers the following details about the film:
"The story will focus on the Midnight Love album (including the song Sexual Healing) that Gaye recorded in Brussels in the early 80s. At the time, Gaye - who was living in Ostend - was considered a spent force - a drug addict who had lost the confidence of the record companies. Against the odds, Gaye recorded what many believe to have been his greatest album."
It is unclear whether or not the film will focus on the controversial manner of the singer's death in which he was killed by his own father Marvin Gay Snr. At the time of his death in 1984 Marvin Gaye was reported to have been in a bit of a wretched state. The singer was caught up in a vicious cycle of drugs and abuse, owed money to the IRS and was extremely paranoid that he was being stalked by murderers. He had always suffered a turbulent relationship with his father who had a apparently abused him as a child and then been happy to live off his son's musical profits. His poor mother had to watch as her husband shot and killed their son after a bitter but petty argument which ensued after Marvin had reportedly attacked his old man. The iconic star died one day before his forty fifth birthday. Of course as bleak as the final chapter of Marvin's life was you could still tie the murder in with the album recording to thematically show that his music triumphed all and that Marvin is rightfully remembered as one of the all time greats of any musical genre.There is no real news on the casting front although we do know that Oscar nominated actor Terrence Howard has been attached to some of the past assignments that were planned by the likes of Cameron Crowe and F Gary Gray which unfortunately ended up falling through. Howard certainly looks the part and even though he is no Gaye in the singing department, he can crucially still carry a note having released an album worth of material and so he may well be worth a recall for Sexual Healing. Also we should note that three years ago Law & Order's Jesse L. Martin was to star in an earlier form of the movie focusing on the soul singers final chapter of his life with, James Gandolfini to play Belgian promoter Freddy Cousaert who was instrumental in getting the comeback album, Midnight Love off the ground. Rookie helmer Lauren Goodman was to direct but it never happened. The film is being funded by the Belgian Tax Shelter and Luxembourg's CIAV and discussions are currently being held to gain a representative from a US sales company. All in all this is fantastic news. Marvin Gaye was a rare talent who had a voice that could carry anything from epic disco classics such as 'Got to Give it Up' to smooth, achingly romantic tunes such as 'I heard it through the Grapevine' to racially important songs such as 'What's Going On' and 'Mercy, Mercy Me'. It is very pleasing to hear that he is finally receiving a deserved film treatment.