by Josh Sewell
Miss Americana
(Rated TV-MA, contains strong language and thematic elements. Now streaming on Netflix.)
Taylor Swift has been a superstar for more than a decade, dominating the country and pop charts with seven hit albums spanning numerous musical genres and selling out stadiums all over the world. She’s also constantly in the public eye thanks to her social media skills and the paparazzi’s obsession with her love life.
She’s even dipped her toe into the movie waters a few times, appearing in Valentine’s Day, The Lorax, The Giver and last year’s brutal misfire Cats (although she acquitted herself nicely) However, her latest cinematic project isn’t a romantic comedy, cartoon or musical.
Miss Americana (named after one of the best songs on Swift’s latest album, Lover) is a compelling documentary that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last month before hitting Netflix a few days ago. Director Lana Wilson was granted a surprising amount of access to the musician’s life, filming her at home, in the recording studio, and during her hectic travel schedule while on tour.
That includes quiet moments backstage during concerts, in private jets, and being whisked away in cars while surrounded by rabid, screaming fans. Not to say she doesn’t have an enviable life, but viewers begin to understand why being subjected to that every day is enough to drive you a little bit crazy.
Wilson captures Swift’s journey from “nice girl who was raised to sing, play her guitar and keep her opinions to herself” to a confident woman whose own experiences with misogyny and sexual assault compel her to use her celebrity platform to speak up for other women whose voices aren’t as amplified. It’s ultimately an inspiring journey, but there are some heartbreaking speed bumps along the way.
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| Courtesy of Netflix |
(Rated TV-MA, contains strong language and thematic elements. Now streaming on Netflix.)
Taylor Swift has been a superstar for more than a decade, dominating the country and pop charts with seven hit albums spanning numerous musical genres and selling out stadiums all over the world. She’s also constantly in the public eye thanks to her social media skills and the paparazzi’s obsession with her love life.
She’s even dipped her toe into the movie waters a few times, appearing in Valentine’s Day, The Lorax, The Giver and last year’s brutal misfire Cats (although she acquitted herself nicely) However, her latest cinematic project isn’t a romantic comedy, cartoon or musical.
Miss Americana (named after one of the best songs on Swift’s latest album, Lover) is a compelling documentary that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last month before hitting Netflix a few days ago. Director Lana Wilson was granted a surprising amount of access to the musician’s life, filming her at home, in the recording studio, and during her hectic travel schedule while on tour.
That includes quiet moments backstage during concerts, in private jets, and being whisked away in cars while surrounded by rabid, screaming fans. Not to say she doesn’t have an enviable life, but viewers begin to understand why being subjected to that every day is enough to drive you a little bit crazy.
Wilson captures Swift’s journey from “nice girl who was raised to sing, play her guitar and keep her opinions to herself” to a confident woman whose own experiences with misogyny and sexual assault compel her to use her celebrity platform to speak up for other women whose voices aren’t as amplified. It’s ultimately an inspiring journey, but there are some heartbreaking speed bumps along the way.
Swift recalls trying to hold it together at 17-years-old when Kanye West stole her big moment at the MTV Video Music Awards. The footage reminds viewers she was still a kid at the time, and although the crowd booed him off the stage, she thought they were booing her.
There’s also a tough scene where she attempts to brush off her devastation when she learns her album Reputation, a departure from her previous style, was shut out when that year’s Grammy nominations were announced. (“It’s fine. I’ll just make a better record,” she asserts, choking back tears.)
Those are disappointing career missteps to be sure, but she also recounts coping with her mother’s cancer diagnosis, struggling with an eating disorder and testifying against a disgusting radio DJ who groped her while posing for a meet-and-greet photo. Those times in her life lead to the fascinating second half of Miss Americana, when Swift decides to wade into the toxic political discourse surrounding the 2018 midterm elections. Watching her crumble as her father attempts to silence her, fearing she’ll be “Dixie Chick-ed,” then quickly recover and passionately defend her choice is powerful and inspiring.
The doc isn’t all gloom and sadness, however. There are several exhilarating instances of Swift and her collaborators in songwriting sessions, pushing through frustration and figuring out how all the lyrics and melodies fall into place. Watching the joy of the creative process unfold is one of my favorite movie tropes. There are some great examples in Sing Street, Hustle & Flow and That Thing You Do!, but seeing it play out in a real-life situation is even better.
I’m not sure if the documentary will earn Swift any new fans, but after watching it I feel like I understand her better and I definitely respect her more. Sure, it’s great PR for an already beloved and media-savvy performer. But it’s also terrific filmmaking.
Grade: B+
Blu-ray Review: Doctor Sleep
(Rated R for disturbing and violent content, some bloody images, language, nudity and drug use. Now available.)
A sequel to The Shining that’s four decades late, and is somehow a follow-up to both Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation (arguably the gold standard of “this movie’s nothing like the book”), is a preposterous premise that shouldn’t work at all. Perhaps that assumption is why audiences avoided Doctor Sleep when it hit theaters last fall.
That’s a shame, considering the film (iffy title notwithstanding) exceeded all my expectations and ended up being one of my favorites of 2019. Hopefully, since it hit Blu-ray earlier this week – complete with a director’s cut that adds nearly 30 minutes of character development and atmospheric terror – viewers will give it a shot and discover that it’s an incredible story that’s so much more than a nostalgia-fueled money grab.
Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), is still scarred by the trauma he experienced as a child at the Overlook Hotel 40 years ago. He has managed to put together a modest life for himself, working as a hospice orderly and focusing on sobriety. However, that stability is shattered when he encounters Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a young girl with a gift Dan is all too familiar with. He learns that a dangerous group of psychic vampires, led by the alluring Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), is after her, so he calls upon his own powers to help his new friend while battling his past.
As a die-hard King fan, I’ve experienced my share of awful movies based on his books. Considering how difficult it is to translate his gift for imagery and characterization from the page to the screen, I watched most of Doctor Sleep with an awestruck grin on my face. Writer-director Mike Flanagan clearly understands why King’s stories work on a fundamental level.
Yes, the horror is crucial, but Flanagan realizes it doesn’t matter if the audience doesn’t care about the people in the story. It was amazing to watch a film that captures exactly what it feels like to read one of King’s novels. Not just the scary parts – although they’re highly effective – but also the enjoyment of just hanging out with a bunch of interesting characters.
That’s where the filmmaker’s casting choices come into play. He gets incredible performances out of McGregor (the best he’s been in quite a while), Ferguson (who manages to make her villain simultaneously terrifying and sensual) and newcomer Curran.
Furthermore, the production and sound design are outstanding, evoking the original without giving in to cheap, empty fan service. In fact (hot take alert), Doctor Sleep manages to make The Shining retroactively better, instilling it with emotional resonance that Kubrick was never interested in.
Special features: “Return to the Overlook,” “The Making of Doctor Sleep: A New Vision” and “From Shining to Sleep” featurettes.
Grade: A-
There’s also a tough scene where she attempts to brush off her devastation when she learns her album Reputation, a departure from her previous style, was shut out when that year’s Grammy nominations were announced. (“It’s fine. I’ll just make a better record,” she asserts, choking back tears.)
Those are disappointing career missteps to be sure, but she also recounts coping with her mother’s cancer diagnosis, struggling with an eating disorder and testifying against a disgusting radio DJ who groped her while posing for a meet-and-greet photo. Those times in her life lead to the fascinating second half of Miss Americana, when Swift decides to wade into the toxic political discourse surrounding the 2018 midterm elections. Watching her crumble as her father attempts to silence her, fearing she’ll be “Dixie Chick-ed,” then quickly recover and passionately defend her choice is powerful and inspiring.
The doc isn’t all gloom and sadness, however. There are several exhilarating instances of Swift and her collaborators in songwriting sessions, pushing through frustration and figuring out how all the lyrics and melodies fall into place. Watching the joy of the creative process unfold is one of my favorite movie tropes. There are some great examples in Sing Street, Hustle & Flow and That Thing You Do!, but seeing it play out in a real-life situation is even better.
I’ve always thought of Swift as a fascinating performer who understands the value of a carefully crafted public persona, and Miss Americana highlights how hard she’s worked to maintain it. It’s a tense tightrope walk between appreciating her honesty about being a woman in the spotlight, while also realizing her frank openness is also part of the carefully crafted image.
I’m not sure if the documentary will earn Swift any new fans, but after watching it I feel like I understand her better and I definitely respect her more. Sure, it’s great PR for an already beloved and media-savvy performer. But it’s also terrific filmmaking.
Grade: B+
Blu-ray Review: Doctor Sleep
 |
| Courtesy of Netflix |
A sequel to The Shining that’s four decades late, and is somehow a follow-up to both Stephen King’s novel and Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation (arguably the gold standard of “this movie’s nothing like the book”), is a preposterous premise that shouldn’t work at all. Perhaps that assumption is why audiences avoided Doctor Sleep when it hit theaters last fall.
That’s a shame, considering the film (iffy title notwithstanding) exceeded all my expectations and ended up being one of my favorites of 2019. Hopefully, since it hit Blu-ray earlier this week – complete with a director’s cut that adds nearly 30 minutes of character development and atmospheric terror – viewers will give it a shot and discover that it’s an incredible story that’s so much more than a nostalgia-fueled money grab.
Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor), is still scarred by the trauma he experienced as a child at the Overlook Hotel 40 years ago. He has managed to put together a modest life for himself, working as a hospice orderly and focusing on sobriety. However, that stability is shattered when he encounters Abra Stone (Kyliegh Curran), a young girl with a gift Dan is all too familiar with. He learns that a dangerous group of psychic vampires, led by the alluring Rose the Hat (Rebecca Ferguson), is after her, so he calls upon his own powers to help his new friend while battling his past.
As a die-hard King fan, I’ve experienced my share of awful movies based on his books. Considering how difficult it is to translate his gift for imagery and characterization from the page to the screen, I watched most of Doctor Sleep with an awestruck grin on my face. Writer-director Mike Flanagan clearly understands why King’s stories work on a fundamental level.
Yes, the horror is crucial, but Flanagan realizes it doesn’t matter if the audience doesn’t care about the people in the story. It was amazing to watch a film that captures exactly what it feels like to read one of King’s novels. Not just the scary parts – although they’re highly effective – but also the enjoyment of just hanging out with a bunch of interesting characters.
That’s where the filmmaker’s casting choices come into play. He gets incredible performances out of McGregor (the best he’s been in quite a while), Ferguson (who manages to make her villain simultaneously terrifying and sensual) and newcomer Curran.
Furthermore, the production and sound design are outstanding, evoking the original without giving in to cheap, empty fan service. In fact (hot take alert), Doctor Sleep manages to make The Shining retroactively better, instilling it with emotional resonance that Kubrick was never interested in.
Special features: “Return to the Overlook,” “The Making of Doctor Sleep: A New Vision” and “From Shining to Sleep” featurettes.
Grade: A-
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