Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius, and tortured melancholy.
I only knew her music, which I really admire. This documentary gave light and life to all her songs, and the person she was, the struggles, the ambition, the journey, the fame, the rejection... It is so complete you feel overwhelmed by the extraordinary being she was, how she wasn't a woman of her time but a visionnaire, an outstanding artist, and somehow too ahead of her time to sometimes be understood. The documentary portrays her at her best at her worse, with very personal notes and footage, never judging, and leaves us with a feeling of sadness for all what she gave us, but all that she had to sacrifice. Shaking.
A chance encounter between a disgraced music-business executive and a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.
Cute comedy, giving the vibe of New York in a realistic way, and a creative way of making a record, with all the great energy and talent New York is filled of. The cast is great, and I am surprised how Mark Ruffalo always make you believe everything on screen. He is so believable you ride all along with him, even if it might be cheesy or embarrassing. The original turn of the end gives hope there is something else than the music industry to actually achieve recognition as a musician.
Jamie Foxx portrays rhythm and blues legend Ray Charles, who rose from obscurity to become world famous despite losing his eyesight at age 6, a hardscrabble upbringing, repeated struggles with racism, romantic letdowns and his own heroin abuse.
What I love about the movie is the combination of amazing music, and the incredible journey that has been the life of Ray Charles. If is filled with choices, definition of right and wrong over the course of a century, how someone can define his own existence, and somehow change the life of so many other, become a symbol of what a man can overcome, without ever making it a cliché or a perfect American story. It follows him in a way that is human, and never looses this perspective. Beautiful. And Jamie Foxx has in it the performance of his life.
with Chely Wright, Rosie O'Donnell, Meredith Vieira, Natalie Morales
This poignant documentary, filmed over three years, profiles country music star Chely Wright, a devout Christian whose struggle to succeed in the music biz while hiding her homosexuality from her conservative family and fans caused her much anguish.
That was an interesting one, because I guess I was one of those who has strongly believed her decision to launch a book and a record and her coming out was a little too set to not be thought in a marketing way. Although I didn't think of it for the right reasons. I got it that this was a way to avoid the new album to be launched in a specific targeted way, and tell a truth that needed to be told, and make as much noise about it as possible to be able to make a point in a society that has still backward ideas of what it to be gay. Anyway, she is not my favorite person but I get it, and I found her quite courageous. And in the end, reading about it, she gained some credibility as an equality activist, but definitely got pushed away from the Country music world. So, not some commercial, right?
with Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Solange Knowles, Jay-Z
As director, producer and star, Beyoncé is in charge of the portrait she presents in this film about life at the top of the pop universe. Using on- and off-stage footage -- some shot from her own laptop -- Beyoncé provides a window into her world.
First, I just wanted to quote an article published by : blog.zap2it.com - frominsidethebox
"Beyonce's 'Life Is But a Dream' ratings hit decade high for HBO docs
Critics were not kind, but Beyonce's directorial debut "Life Is But a Dream" scored the highest ratings in a decade for a HBO documentary.
The film -- co-directed, co-written, starring, executive produced and sometimes even shot (on a web cam) by Beyonce Knowles -- drew 1.8 million viewers for its 9 p.m. premiere on Saturday (Feb. 16). That just beats out the previous champ, Spike Lee's Hurricane Katrina chronicle "When the Levees Broke" which drew 1.7 million viewers in 2006.
In these days of monster ratings for nontraditional shows like "The Walking Dead" and "Downton Abbey," 1.8 million may not sound like a lot -- but for a HBO documentary it's a big deal. It's also a considerably larger number than the network averages for a first run episode of media zeitgeist show "Girls." And pretty much anything that airs on HBO expands its audience substantially through repeats and video on demand viewing.
Beyonce "
- editorial@zap2it.com, 19 February 2013
This is exactly how I saw it. Brilliant idea of HBO to get such a huge star in an exclusive documentary, this would definitely draw a lot of attention, from the fans, and from people who are curious like me. It reminds me of the strategy to bring Tim Burton to the MoMA, New York: most successful exhibition of all time. People who don't go to the museum would go because they love his movies, mix of genres. I knew a bit about Beyoncé, not enough to think much about her but had a good impression. I felt that was kind of a tribute to her fans, opening a little door to who she was except an exceptional entertainer and singer. The goal is achieved. In a weird way, she is very much what you would think of her, a strong business woman (who knows where the wind blows, a little like Madonna, and knows how to keep the lead), a great public relation person, smart, and giving a human face to herself, not going for the scandal but to the authenticity. She shows the aspect people can relate to, more universal, like having a child, miscarriage... I had more conflict with what she think as normal as an artist being able to "do her craft". Anyway, interesting mix of self recorded testimonies, the conversations with an interviewer, behind the scene recordings, live performance shows of amazing production value and herself singing in studio (or car) confirming her amazing voice. I was surprised by the amount of music she put in it, but I guess it is because that is what is the most valuable thing she needed to share, her singing.
