308 replies to this topic

[ewh12]

This is a nice review though

https://exclaim.ca/f...ary-film-review

[Céline RO]

smw, on 20 June 2024 - 10:48 AM, said:

I'm sure that's true for many.

I have several friends who wondered what happened to her voice after listening to the Courage album.

Yeah but the vast majority of people never listened to the Courage album. They know those few songs she lips, and they sound the same in concert.

[scielle]

I don’t subscribe to his substack for the full write-up but lol -
https://evanrosskatz...-sps-love-again

“And yet, what saves this film, as it should be, is its subject. Celine Dion is infinitely and endlessly watchable. There’s a moment at one point in the film where she rustles through a drawer of sharpies trying to find the right color. Simply watching her fingers try to make a decision is gripping. Seeing her sock drawer is more compelling than most contemporary runway shows. Watching her vacuum her couch feels, for me, what I imagine the Super Bowl is like for sports fans.“

[tshlw]

scielle, on 20 June 2024 - 12:15 PM, said:

I don't subscribe to his substack for the full write-up but lol -
https://evanrosskatz...-sps-love-again

"And yet, what saves this film, as it should be, is its subject. Celine Dion is infinitely and endlessly watchable. There's a moment at one point in the film where she rustles through a drawer of sharpies trying to find the right color. Simply watching her fingers try to make a decision is gripping. Seeing her sock drawer is more compelling than most contemporary runway shows. Watching her vacuum her couch feels, for me, what I imagine the Super Bowl is like for sports fans."

Here's the whole thing

The 'I Am: Celine Dion' Review
Stan the superstar, obvi, but the film…? Let’s discuss.
EVAN ROSS KATZ
JUN 20, 2024
∙ PAID

During a recent Pop Culture Happy Hour review of the Tig Notaro film Am I OK?, co-host Margaret H. Willison kicks off the conversation about the film by saying: “So often, the equivalent in modern times culture-wise of ‘this meeting should have been an email’ is ‘this TV series should have been a movie’ and this is the opposite.” That quote echoed through the dense caverns of my frontal lobe as I watched Irene Taylor’s harrowing new documentary feature, I Am: Celine Dion. In one hour and forty two minutes, the film attempts to contextualize Dion’s four-decade plus career and give unfiltered access to Dion as she battles symptoms of the rare neurological condition stiff-person syndrome (SPS). And while it succeeds at the latter, the gargantuan undertaking leaves us with an ultimately wonky feature. Always leave them wanting more though, right?

And yet, what saves this film, as it should be, is its subject. Celine Dion is infinitely and endlessly watchable. There’s a moment at one point in the film where she rustles through a drawer of sharpies trying to find the right color. Simply watching her fingers try to make a decision is gripping. Seeing her sock drawer is more compelling than most contemporary runway shows. Watching her vacuum her couch feels, for me, what I imagine the Super Bowl is like for sports fans.

Celine forever.

Let’s unpack.

I attended the premiere of the film at Alice Tully Hall on Tuesday evening.

Director Irene Taylor had come on stage to introduce Dion, first speaking about how the pair met and how the doc came to be. She explained that Dion had only one request (“genuinely the only thing she asked”) for the film:

“Is it possible that you could make a film where it’s not everyone else talking about me, but it’s just me talking about me?”

Taylor conveyed to those in attendance that this was music to a doc film director’s ears. This immediately perplexed me. Can’t talking heads be helpful? What about Dion’s contemporaries and past collaborators like Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli or Anne Murray? What about her children, who are featured throughout the film but only speaking to — never about — their mother? What about her neurologist, Dr. Amanda Piquet, who Dion told the crowd at the premiere “solved the mystery about her health”? Surely these voices might have been useful, and not just deployed for narrative zhuzhing.

In that sense, if we were to assign numerical value to the film, I’d give it a 6/10; Dion, however, is an 11/10. And it’s because of her vitality and magnetism that this subpar film is, in the end, deliciously watchable.

There are two moments that will stay burned in my brain from this film. The first comes when Dion invites us into her storage warehouse where she has everything archived. Ev-ery-thing. It’s here we see her appreciation and regard for the craft and artistry of fashion. This isn’t just *very Miranda Priestly voice* stuff. This is a part of her. It evoked a scene from the third season of Hacks when Deborah Vance is dissatisfied with a stylist’s rack pulls and decides to dig into her warehouse archive. I particularly got a kick out of Dion describing the way she had her team add sleeves that snap onto her jacket so that she could wear a sleeveless shirt but still create the silhouette of a visible cuff. This is, above all else, a showperson.

That’s the light. The dark (or perhaps darkest) happens in the film’s final moments, the ones everyone will be talking about (but weren’t even mentioned in some early reviews, WTF). We’re with Dion as she enters the recording studio to lay down the track “Love Again” from the film of the same name that she appeared in last year. She struggles immensely, but eventually seems content with where the song lands. She steps into another room where she’s laughing with one of her doctors (not Piquet, who does not appear in the film) when, within an instant, she begins to experience an SPS episode in which her entire body begins spasming and her muscle stiffness sets in. As the camera lingers on her face, she looks as though she might be dead. It’s scarier than any horror film in recent memory. It is necessary in capturing the velocity at which the disease takes hold and, in turn, how quickly it loosens her grip.

Dion in the studio before the flare up.

Dion is an engaging dichotomy. “I don’t want people to hear that,” the star says earlier in the film after giving a demonstration of the strain that grips her vocal chords. And yet she very much does. That’s why, in fact, we’re here. It’s easy to look at this documentary as brave, but I don’t see it as such. In fact, I’m reminded of something Meryl Streep said about Nicole Kidman during the latter’s American Film Institute Life Achievement Award ceremony: “I don’t think it’s bravery. I think it’s love.” I think Celine’s love for her fans — the life force they give her — makes the seemingly vulnerable really an act of gratitude. What does it say about Dion that she seems to live her life in service of others? That’s for you to decide.

One thing the film chooses not to grapple with is Dion’s privilege. “The film is as much about the singer as it is about the realities of living with a chronic illness,” reads the Hollywood Reporter’s review. I don’t agree. Yes, Dion is living with a chronic illness, but she’s doing so with a team of best-in-class doctors whilst living in a palatial mansion. This is not to undermine her very real struggles, but rather to present the complexities of suffering while privileged, something the documentary displays without substantively mining.

Should you watch it? It’s mandatory viewing, to be honest. In a landscape of mediocrity that is the music industry at present, with our most gifted voices underutilizing them (Billie, Chappell) and with a severe lack of capital P performers, Dion’s talents are not only unparalleled, but sadly not very influential. Makes sense if you consider the high bar she set. But it makes the chance to spend an hour and a half with her all the more alluring. In an era where Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae are dominating the cultural conversation, Dion is a necessary reminder that success it not the benchmark; talent is. (Bloop!)

[scielle]

tshlw, on 20 June 2024 - 12:31 PM, said:

Here's the whole thing

Thanks!
(And, dare I ask… how? Do you actually subscribe to all these things?!)

[tshlw]

scielle, on 20 June 2024 - 12:38 PM, said:

Thanks!
(And, dare I ask… how? Do you actually subscribe to all these things?!)

I get curious so want to read them and usually they have a free or cheap one week or one month deal on these sites. I do that then cancel my subscription.

[scielle]

tshlw, on 20 June 2024 - 12:41 PM, said:

I get curious so want to read them and usually they have a free or cheap one week or one month deal on these sites. I do that then cancel my subscription.

Ah, that's a lot of work!  I couldn't keep up with all the cancellations. So thank you!

[Tomier88]

scielle, on 20 June 2024 - 10:07 AM, said:

A less than stellar review here: https://nextmag.ca/r...-singers-shows/

The way the review is written is a bit disrespectful, and very much with an "I'm better than this and my taste is better than this too" kind of attitude, which is a little odd cause they try to explain how much they respect Celine so they have a right to be snarky. With that being said however, there are some points here I do agree with. Even things I mentioned after seeing it, or my friend who went with me also didn't really care for. Their opinion was a really important one as they're not a fan of Celine at all, but they do like her as a human, and this was their first real time seeing anything about her really. There were no dates, no translations during French only scenes (which isn't always a problem but sometimes it definitely felt needed.) There wasn't any direction, or idea when things were taped, started, ended or whatnot. And i know they wanted Celine to be the one telling the story, and I don't think it was the wrong choice either because she came across very human, very compelling. But also, someone could have steered the conversation in a better direction with better guiding questions, a better timeline or structure. People want to know what she was going through... but also... it looks like she's slowly getting better. But then it just...and maybe you know what i mean if you saw it....it felt so... Idk, so abrupt. ... idk. as much as i loved it, after sitting with it, these things matter. And if you don't already know her as we do, without the guiding, without context. A lot of people will miss so much of the endearing subtle moments we fans will only have noticed. (I guess that's ok sometimes lol but point stands, no?)

[jpatdeleon09]

There's always a few bad review from critics. I think all films have this kind of review. It's normal. The most important thing is Most of it are positive reviews

Edited by jpatdeleon09, 20 June 2024 - 01:08 PM.

[Nmj]

While it’s still early, the “Rotten Tomato” score for “I Am: Celine Dion” is currently at 100% from critics. (FRESH)

https://www.rottento..._am_celine_dion

Dion’s life story unfolds here like an inverted fairytale, where a singing-obsessed child from small-town Canada reaches global heights only to be struck down by a curse from within.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 20, 2024


Rachel Ho
Exclaim!
Fresh score.
It's far from being a piece of fan service.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jun 20, 2024


Lovia Gyarkye
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Fresh score.
This palpable and visceral glimpse into her pain is a jolting reminder of the toll this condition has taken on Dion not just as a star but as a person.

Full Review | Jun 19, 2024


Peter Debruge
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Fresh score.
Like all things Celine Dion, “I Am” feels intensely personal and sincere, but also managed to within an inch of its life.

Full Review | Jun 18, 2024


Brad Wheeler
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Fresh score.
An affecting pageant of intense emotional moments chronicling the Quebec singer’s struggle with stiff person syndrome.

Full Review | Jun 18, 2024


Pat Mullen
POV Magazine
Fresh score.
Céline Dion has amassed fans worldwide by making them feel the power of a good song. On film, she’ll inevitably unite them with the power of a good cry.

Edited by Nmj, 20 June 2024 - 02:00 PM.

[scielle]

Nmj, on 20 June 2024 - 01:57 PM, said:

While it’s still early, the “Rotten Tomato” score for “I Am: Celine Dion” is currently at 100% from critics. (FRESH)

https://www.rottento..._am_celine_dion

Yea but that only includes like 5 reviews so far, and we’ve posted something like 20 here, if not more.
But yes, all generally positive.

[Critiaslux]

ewh12, on 20 June 2024 - 11:08 AM, said:

Probably the most cliché ridden, dismissive review yet. Yes its not a bad review per se, But pretty insensitive nonetheless

https://nextmag.ca/r...-singers-shows/

Insensitive indeed is the right word.
I can understand some part of it (when it is about how the film is directed, produced) but some other comments (about the person) are just plain disrespectful.

Edited by Critiaslux, 20 June 2024 - 03:09 PM.

[smw]

A nice thing about seeing the film in a theater with a lot of other people was being able to hear/see everyone’s reactions. I’m glad I got to experience that. Particularly during the funny parts… people would burst out in laughter. Celine’s personality created some very funny moments which were a relief from the heavier parts.

[jpatdeleon09]

Well, now they know why we love her so much. Her sense of humor and my favorite attitude of hers is being positive in life

Edited by jpatdeleon09, 20 June 2024 - 08:14 PM.

[scielle]

Australian review: https://www.news.com...cd11e6c42e0bd9a
Warning: it includes stills of that scene.
But I suspect there’ll be more where that came from, we’ll have to get use to seeing it.

[Shamrock_1982]

It would be amazing if we could get the song Love Again high in the charts next week following the release of the doc. After seeing how much of a struggle it was at the time to record it.

[jpatdeleon09]

Love Again is a great song. I don’t know why some fans don’t like it. It’s one of my most listened song from the Love Again album. Everytime I listen to this song I repeat the song at least twice.

Edited by jpatdeleon09, 21 June 2024 - 12:36 AM.

[PuraVida]

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the documentary as a cinematic work. But one thing for sure is that it emotionally impacted me a great deal - from Celine talking about her family and upbringing, to her being so loving and nurturing to her pets (even the little surprise guinea pigs - so darn cute!), to her reminiscing about once being "the best" and how now she doesn't exactly know who she is...and then of course that harrowing final scene. There was so much to absorb and fixate on - especially in the present day scenes, I was hanging on her every word and examining each pixel. Her magnetism is so strong even off the stage, and that comes through in the doc.

But I have to say, the timeline of the project/filming is so unfortunate. I feel like the COVID era and her own health battles put a huge dent in the potential of what they could achieve. Celine could/chose to barely leave her house -- and even when you're as fascinating and grand as Celine, that doesn't make for the richest documentary possible. As a super fan, I of course went in ravenously curious about archival footage, but I ended up feeling the documentary needed wayyy less of that and more present day footage of 2020s Celine at her house and going about her life during this unprecedented period for her. Not to mention, their choice of archival footage was super predictable (sigh)  -- and oddly, not remastered a lot of the times. What we get is a lot of close-up shots of Celine simply talking, which was great, but I wanted more.

And it didn't cross my mind while watching the docu, but I totally agree with the posts/reviews about the John Farnham bit. Not contextualised well, too long, and just...why? And where was Rene-Charles?!?! All that said, this doc was 11/10 for authenticity and it succeeded in making me love and respect Celine Dion more, as if that were possible. One surprise for me was seeing her cerebral side, and to see just how meticulous she is with everything -- I mean, can we talk about that warehouse?! Vive la Celine!

[jpatdeleon09]

4 days to go!

[PuraVida]

I have a lot of other thoughts and questions that I'm sure I'll mention in the days to come, but before I forget -- why the heck was there zero mention or on-screen text about how she has been doing since this was all filmed? Not even a basic "Dion continues to work on her health and still has hopes to get back onstage."  

[Céline RO]

PuraVida, on 21 June 2024 - 03:41 AM, said:

I have a lot of other thoughts and questions that I'm sure I'll mention in the days to come, but before I forget -- why the heck was there zero mention or on-screen text about how she has been doing since this was all filmed? Not even a basic "Dion continues to work on her health and still has hopes to get back onstage."  

I guess the Vegas announcement will serve that purpose, and hopefully soon.

[PuraVida]

tshlw, on 19 June 2024 - 12:20 PM, said:

For those that have seen the doc was Claudette really wrong when she said she did not have control of her muscles and can't find medication to help? Obviously that has changed but if we were just left with the doc would you still feel Claudette was wrong. Not withstanding she should probably just not say anything at all.

What Claudette said was mistranslated in a lot of places. Pretty sure this is the original article for 7jours:
https://www.7jours.c...in-detre-active

She didn't say anything about medication, and what she said at the time was basic knowledge about SPS that everyone had once Celine announced her diagnosis. That Celine does not have (full) control of her muscles. People made up all sorts of stories and headlines from an original French-language interview that they didn't even bother to translate correctly.

[scielle]

Nice review from Kevin Fallon at Daily Beast: https://www.thedaily...upsetting-watch

[scielle]

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[scielle]

Another great review (London Evening Standard): https://www.standard...e-b1165976.html

[scielle]

A bit misleading because they only talk about it for about 3 min (@ ~ 8:30 min) but another great review:

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[tomantha]

I saw it and don’t know what to think of it.

What stands out to me is how lonely she is. She has no friends, she has staff and her kids. We don’t even see RC. Only the twins.

It does not answer any questions we have, it does not give any update on her health, nothing. We learned more in the promotional interviews than we learn in the documentary.

No timeline: when was this shot? No date, nothing. They say « One Year Earlier » but one year earlier of when ? Then they show the year for the Fallon, Corden and Australian tour footage.

No Courage Tour footage to show when she struggled particularly.

Not sure what the artistic vision was here. It was very messy imo.

I loved the warehouse and some of the tour footage.

The crisis scene was a lot. And the fact it was filmed that close too was disturbing. I get they didn’t want to hold back on what the truth is but damn that was painful to watch.

So much random footage here and there with no context. What was that John Farnham bit? Useless.

I’ve heard fans outside saying they don’t ever want to see this again after the showing.

It’s a slap in the face. I’m glad I saw it but let’s hope she has something new cooking for us because I wouldn’t want it to end in such a dramatic way. I don’t want her legacy to be that shocking crisis scene.

I have so many questions to Irene now…

[scielle]

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[PuraVida]

About the crisis scene, I genuinely think it's one of the scariest and intense things that has ever been committed to film. Rest of the documentary aside, that was chilling. And then you put it in context of who she is and her choice to let that be seen, it's so remarkable.

I thought the two members of her team who helped her were extremely professional and kind. They handled it brilliantly. I noticed that they showed her earlier on in the doc having a 911 call -- but the crisis scene didn't involve 911? So I wonder about that other event that was shown (in iPhone footage).

[scielle]

From Wyn Starks:
https://www.instagra...3V4M3p1c3U5cA==

Also, this. (And thanks for the retweet! ☺️)

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And this, from his friend, which includes a snippet of that final scene: https://www.instagra...GVvejdkbW95ZQ==

Edited by scielle, 21 June 2024 - 12:50 PM.