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Flash Movie Review: Wham!
WHEN I STARTED MY CAREER IN fitness, I did not have the goal to be the best in my field. On the contrary, I did not have the confidence to ever consider it. My hope was that no one would laugh at me. Now I did have a vision that kept me going; I wanted to create a safe space where everyone, no matter what their fitness level was, could be themselves and do their best while having a good time. Looking back at the classes I taught, I believe I achieved that goal. What I did not have was the drive to increase my exposure, such as working to be a fitness presenter at workshops and conversations. To do that, I would have had to collaborate with professionals in the fitness and medical worlds to create a presentation that was certified and safe. This would have taken up a good portion of my time that I did not want to give up. Seeing and getting to know some of the presenters, I realized I was not cut out to take on such an endeavor. The drive and motivation some of these individuals possessed was simply intense. It also included a strong sales personality which I absolutely did not have inside of me. MOST EVERYONE I MET IN THE fitness world achieved their level of skill from putting in challenging work. I cannot say they were all talented, except it usually was a necessity to have a sense of rhythm. It was not like they were born with the skills to lead a fitness class, unlike a singer or painter. The reason I say this is because there was a woman who had a gorgeous singing voice. Compared to her classmates, her singing ability was beyond anything the other students could achieve. Once you heard her sing, you would be convinced she would go far. Now, she had a dream of performing on Broadway, ever since she was a little girl. In school, there was never a school production that did not include her. The teachers realized they could not keep casting her as the lead, but they were reluctant to choose other students because they knew it would not be the same. Gratefully, they did give other students a chance at being the lead. She did not mind, but she always learned the score in case something happened, and they needed to find someone to fill in. Her dedication was commendable, and it paid off because right after college, she was cast in a Broadway musical. She was in the ensemble but was the understudy for one of the female leads. BECOMING FRIENDS IN SCHOOL, GEORGE MICHAEL and Andrew Ridgeley both had a love for music and decided they wanted to become the biggest pop stars in the world. They had stiff competition with Elton John, Tina Turner, Prince, and Whitney Houston. Directed by Chris Smith (American Movie, Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond); this music documentary was not only enjoyable to watch, but it provided me a flashback of a different era with some incredible music. With interviews and archival footage, I had no idea how devoted the two friends were to their craft and dreams. Whenever I watch a documentary about a well-known celebrity, it is a real treat for me to get the back story to that person’s famous contributions. I loved hearing how the two created their songs, besides getting insight into their insecurities and fears. This biography’s primary focus was the years Wham was in existence; it does not follow George and Andrew as they go their separate ways. I would have appreciated getting a deeper picture of their internal dramas, both at home and in business. It would have been interesting to see what the boys were doing prior to becoming friends. However, the lack of this did not deter me from enjoying watching and reliving the music they created. If you are not a fan of this group, then you will not care to see this biography. But if you are, then this film can put you in a happy place before you must go go.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Love to Love You, Donna Summer
I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WAS playing on the car’s radio. We were driving through the city, when the radio disc jockey made the comment to be prepared for the new hot song, he was going to play next. I was sitting in the backseat, but the car had a decent speaker, so all of us would be able to hear. When the song came on the air, I was not sure if I was hearing things correctly or someone was playing a joke. A woman was moaning. There was a strong beat behind her words, but I was still confused. Eventually the woman sang some lyrics, but the song repeated the moans over and over, extending the song out to an unheard-of amount of time. We were stunned and could not believe what we had just heard. The disc jockey came back on and gave a quick update on the artist’s name, record stats and how she was discovered. I still remember when we were driving back home after spending the day downtown, we heard the song again. Though this time, the evening disc jockey was talking about how fast the song was moving up the song charts, making big jumps towards number one. FOUR YEARS LATER, I HEARD A song that started out with the words, “toot toot, beep beep.” So odd, but it had a beat that was infectious. It turned out it was the same singer from that song I had heard on the radio with all that moaning. I do know, whenever this song came on you could see everyone doing something to the beat; whether it was toe tapping or dancing or air guitaring, it got people moving. By this point my curiosity was piqued enough to figure out who was this singer because I must tell you, I was hooked. The period of time in the music world was referred to as Disco, which referred to pop music created for dancing to it that had melodies and soulfulness, mixed in with a steady beat. You could never get away from it; it was being played at weddings, parties, clubs, television shows and movies. This singer was being referred to as the “Queen of Disco.” She was on the cover of Rolling Stone which was a first. And the best part of this is I got to see her live in concert in a concert hall that is considered to have the best acoustics in the world. With the stage dark, a background music track began to play. The lights came up to show a winter scene on stage with fake snow and crystal icicles hanging from fake trees. The singer slowly came out on a moving sidewalk, dressed in a full length feathered white coat. Her voice was crystal clear as she sang the beginning of one of her famous songs. I was so excited then as I am now, seeing her again in this musical documentary. A DAUGHTER’S CURIOUSITY ABOUT HER MOTHER’S life was the impetus for the creation of this movie about the singer, Donna Summer. Directed by Roger Ross Williams (The Apollo; Life, Animated) and Donna’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano (Taken-TV, With This Ring), I was all into this documentary since I was a big fan of Donna. With home and never seen before footage, I was fascinated seeing the behind-the-scenes tidbits of famous songs and events. Adding in the commentary from such celebrities as Elton John and Giorgio Moroder, I enjoyed reliving those times without having to dress up in Qiana shirts and platform shoes. There was though a sanitary feel to this film, which I understood since Brooklyn was behind it. I would have appreciated getting a deeper sense of Donna and the people in her life with more in-depth, unfiltered interviews. However, hearing the music again transported me back to those times and gave me such a fun feeling that I could easily forgive. If you choose to see this picture, do not be surprised if you get the urge to dance.
3 stars
Flash Movie Review: Dionne Warwick: Don’t Make Me Over
I APPRECIATE LISTENING TO THE SOUND of a beautiful singing voice. Even some speaking voices are wonderful to listen to, in my opinion. I tend to gravitate to those singers who have powerful voices, who have a wide range and can belt out the notes of a song. It amazes me how a vocalist can maneuver through a musical composition with perfect diction and tone. When I attend concerts to see musical acts, I expect the performers to sing live. When choreography became just as important as the singing, artists started to rely more on recorded tracks and simply lip synch the songs. As some of you are aware of, I am not a fan of lip synching or auto tuning at a concert. Though the staging and choreography play a strong part in live shows, I would rather have live singing be the focus. If I am spending money to see a performer simply lip synch to recordings, I could save the money and listen to their album at home. There have been several music artists I have seen in concert who are on stage performing for close to 3 hours, all of it live. To me they are the standard when it comes to live shows. WHEN A MUSICAL ARTIST ACHIEVES A high level of success, I am highly impressed when they contribute to humanitarian causes, either financially, physically, or as spokesperson. There are singers and bands that are as well known for their charity work as for their performances. I admire the work they do and appreciate them more when they do not let their charitable work take centerstage. Then there are those artists who think just because they are successful in the musical world, they have the right to impart their opinions and thoughts on the general population. I frown on such actions because I do not equate musical success with world politics. An extreme example would be the musical artist who has been recently in the news for his antisemitic remarks. Just like I do not see certain actors’ movies due to their offensive actions, I do the same thing to musical artists. I never played in my fitness classes an artist’s music if they were racist, sexist or prejudiced, either the lyrics in their song or in their personal life. Feeling the way I do; I was taken by surprise while watching this musical documentary. Also, as a sidenote, I saw Dionne Warwick in concert in a small venue during the twilight of her singing career and she sounded as good as when she first started out professionally singing. COMING FROM A MUSICAL FAMILY, DIONNE WARWICK was a trailblazer in her own right. She also was the older cousin to Whitney Houston. You might be surprised to see what Dionne was able to accomplish in her life. Directed by David Heilbroner (Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, The Newburgh Sting) and relative newcomer Dave Wooley, there were several times where I was taken completely surprised by the actions of Dionne. Granted, there has been a lot written about Dionne but there still were a few things I did not know about her. There was a segment in this film where a music rapper talks about the time early in his career when he met Dionne; it was priceless. There were other tidbits like this that Dionne shared throughout this movie. Where I said previously, I distrust artists who brag, I gained a new level of respect for Dionne as she shared some of her charitable work with the interviewer. Mixing in old footage with Dionne’s description of the time was a real treat. Hearing about the history of her songs and the things she fought for, I was left with a whole new appreciation for what she accomplished in the musical world.
3 ¼ stars
Flash Movie Review: Rocketman
SEEKING APPROVAL FROM THOSE YOU LOVE is one of the strongest motivators one has at their disposal. Feeling good about your accomplishment is fine; however, having that “seal of approval” from someone else forms a stronger bond that can last for years. I remember to this day how I felt the first time I had to construct a diorama for a school project. The assignment was to recreate a scene from a book we were reading for class. My choice was an outdoor scene of mountains surrounding a secluded lake that the characters from the book would periodically visit. I had used a combination of materials, including rolled up pieces of plastic wrap for the lake. With a large assortment of colored markers and paints. I colored the pieces of cardboard I had cut out from a packing box, creating a mountain range with snow caps. For trees I used pipe cleaners that I would twist together to form the foliage over brown and black painted toilet paper cores. As I said before, I used a variety of things for this project. Once completed I was proud of what I had done. Family members praised my work which was both wonderful and expected; but, I really was hoping my teacher would shower her praise over my creation. She was a fantastic artist which made me value her opinion more than other people; gratefully she did not disappoint me. WHY I WAS REMINDED OF THIS memory was due to this musical movie. I have seen Elton John in concert a couple of times; once during his earlier years and the other recently. From the variety of acts I have seen live in concert, Elton was not a typical rock star. Many of them played off a certain sex appeal they were portraying. Male guitarists made it look like they were making love to their guitars; female singers would move in seductive ways. Elton was different; instead of trying to use sex appeal he went the spectacle route. The more flamboyant and outrageous he was the more his fans would scream for him. This is only my opinion; but because I was dealing with a poor self-image, I assumed Elton was also. Only when I could “dress up” in my workout clothes or suit did I feel better about myself. Seeing Elton dressed up in so many costumes led me to believe he was feeling the same way. Behind the façade there was a boy who wanted to be loved; I understood. If you wish to see what was going on behind the scenes, then feel free to watch this dramatic film about a music icon. FROM AN EARLY AGE ELTON JOHN displayed a gift for playing the piano. However, he was looking for something more. With Taron Egerton (Eddie the Eagle, Robin Hood) as Elton John, Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) as Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden (Cinderella, The Take) as John Reid, Bryce Dallas Howard (Pete’s Dragon, Jurassic World franchise) as Sheila and Gemma Jones (Sense and Sensibility, Bridget Jones’s Diary franchise) as Ivy; the cast was well chosen. Standing above all of them though was Taron; he was incredible in his role, including his own singing. The acting and story drew me into this picture. I could not believe what I was seeing behind the scenes of so many memorable moments in Elton’s career. Granted I do not know how much truth was shown in this film, but nonetheless I enjoyed watching this movie for the most part. The one thing that did not connect with me was the use of fantasy scenes. A couple would have been fine, but I felt these scenes drained the emotional impact away from the story. It was amazing to see how so many of Elton’s songs’ lyrics lent themselves to the scenes. I would have preferred spending more time in the moment instead of turning the emotion into a fantasy scene. Whether one is a fan or not; one would be hard pressed not to be impressed with what Elton has accomplished in his life.
2 ¾ stars
“American Masters” Troubadours: The Rise of the Singer-Songwriter
If one is fortunate enough they can spend years on an intimate journey with one of their favorite musical artists. The path, lined with stepping stones of shared memories, sings of the joyful times as well as the moments of grief. I have been lucky to have witnessed the “birth” of a few musical stars. Spotting them first as a warm-up act or in a small nightclub, there was something about their voice and the songs they sang that resonated inside of me. As I followed their careers they would have songs that reminded me of particular times in my life. We shared many a night as I played certain songs over and over, depending on my mood. The history I share with my favorite artists made watching this musical documentary extra special. It was between the late 1960’s to early 1970’s when musicians who were singer/songwriters came to prominence. Doug Weston ran a Los Angeles nightclub called the Troubadour, where he would show new talent. He certainly had an ear for music since early performers at the club were Joni Mitchell, Jackson Brown, David Crosby, Steve Martin and Elton John, to name a few. The main engine driving this film’s story was following the special bond between Carole King and James Taylor through their long musical careers. It was awesome to see early film clips of them performing, besides the other clips of various artists. The variety of people interviewed for this project helped to provide a larger perspective for the events discussed. Looking at this from a historical perspective, this documentary provided more of a light overview than an in depth look into the creation of the singer/songwriter genre. However, it did not take away any of my enjoyment in watching this Sundance Film Festival selection. Granted I am a huge music lover, but I think anyone would enjoy seeing or should I say hearing this fun retrospective.
3 stars — DVD
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