The movie is essentially just the concert, truncated, with little to know talking or context other than the intro given to the audience by James Cleveland one of the musicians and defacto MC. There are a couple odd to disconcerting elements about the movie first is that Franklin herself sued to keep it unreleased. Second is Cleveland's role and behavior in the concert. He runs, dictates, and narrates Aretha's concert. It's unclear why and although he is talented and it's clear the two have some connection watching it play out onscreen comes across as overbearing and strange. Conversely Aretha barely speaks at all.
The music, of course, is incredible but you'd have to be a gospel fan or a big Aretha fan for it to really hold your attention as a movie. There is so little footage and it is so in-artfully shot there is no visual aesthetic beyond the spartan. The sound mix is only marginally functional and for a concert doc that's an issue. All taken together the question of why make and release this movie at all when the album on which its based is readily available doesn't have a clear answer. It's an interesting curiosity rather than film.
Stream It.
No comments:
Post a Comment