This documentary won't give you every detail of every terrible situation Britney Spears found herself in from her divorce in 2006 to her hostage situation involving one of her sons in early 2008. It will cover some of the events in between in minor detail but the important thing to remember going in is this: This documentary was made just months after her initial recovery and at a time when she was very obviously still healing. Anyone going in expecting clear, concise answers from a damaged person still processing everything is going to be disappointed or frustrated at her half answers, awkward silences or fragmented statements. This doco was probably made a little too soon after the craziness died down - I actually would've been more interested on her take on those events *now* that she has found a seemingly normal personal life, two successful world tours and some decent radio success (as well as a nice heaping of self serving sympathy from Hollywood - yeah, thanks for nothing MTV!).
The production of this documentary is flawless - not a fault to be had. This is a very quiet, understated film subtly soundtracked by a collection of instrumentals from various independent artists as well as instrumentals from Spears Circus album at the time. It's interesting how well the two sounds blend together quite well as is a testament to the maturity of that album. One of the highlights was seeing Britney recording a few tracks from the album (Womanizer and Trouble). Britney is so snowed under with tabloids, cameras, general madness - the music seems to take a back seat despite it being what most of us crave the most from her. So, I revelled seeing her singing raw in the studio, having fun with her producers and generally being free. She obviously still finds a joy in being creative. She approaches her dance rehearsals with fire and determination and, best of all, with a big smile on his face. A little unsettling was her declaration that "art is my therapy". I think someone who has been through the life altering events she has absolutely needs therapy but she won't find any answers on a dancefloor or in a studio. She may find a peace of same sort but that still won't make it any easier to deal with the 30+ rabid men waiting outside for her at any given time.
If anyone doubted Britney's continued relevance, they need only observe the hoards of fans and media mobbing her any time she enters a public space. Paparazzi cause Britney to shout "I'm scared! I'm scared!" as she simply tries to enter a department store (she later has to leave with a blanket covering her). An eerie long line of fans awaits her as she leaves her hotel. They stand blankly in line cameras at the ready, not sure which SUV holds the star. The cast of a Broadway musical eagerly crowd around her and try desperately to relate to her but a few minutes conversation reveals how many worlds away from them she is. All the same age, same jobs but only one of them has a "baby daddy" who disallows her to leave LA. While the others talk about which cities they prefer Britney remains silent, her only contributions being "It hurts coming back here", "I used to live here..." while her narration laments good nights out as being bittersweet because she knows how fleeting they are. It's clear she could benefits from a few friends as her team treats her much too young. But how does Britney Spears find.friends when, as she says, she needs security just to walk down a street? It's around.this point, as Britney sits alone in a darkened room, that the ugly side of fame isn't just a bad picture or a mob of fans - its a step by step breakdown of every basic human need - privacy, friendship, acceptance, peace - until you're nothing but a blank slate piece of public property.
Ultimately, despite the tacked on happy ending, this is a depressingly honest examination of fame and a young woman who personifies the best and worst of it. She examines herself, her fame, why she still works within this industry and how she made it through the darkest part of her life. She doesn't have concrete answers or explanations for all her actions (and considering she was unknowingly being drugged for the good part of 2007, does she even remember some things?) but she does offer a decent amount of introspection and insight into a very complicated, layered situation.
I would recommend this to anyone studying modern fame, anyone looking to change their opinion of Brit or any fan of Britney's.
The production of this documentary is flawless - not a fault to be had. This is a very quiet, understated film subtly soundtracked by a collection of instrumentals from various independent artists as well as instrumentals from Spears Circus album at the time. It's interesting how well the two sounds blend together quite well as is a testament to the maturity of that album. One of the highlights was seeing Britney recording a few tracks from the album (Womanizer and Trouble). Britney is so snowed under with tabloids, cameras, general madness - the music seems to take a back seat despite it being what most of us crave the most from her. So, I revelled seeing her singing raw in the studio, having fun with her producers and generally being free. She obviously still finds a joy in being creative. She approaches her dance rehearsals with fire and determination and, best of all, with a big smile on his face. A little unsettling was her declaration that "art is my therapy". I think someone who has been through the life altering events she has absolutely needs therapy but she won't find any answers on a dancefloor or in a studio. She may find a peace of same sort but that still won't make it any easier to deal with the 30+ rabid men waiting outside for her at any given time.
If anyone doubted Britney's continued relevance, they need only observe the hoards of fans and media mobbing her any time she enters a public space. Paparazzi cause Britney to shout "I'm scared! I'm scared!" as she simply tries to enter a department store (she later has to leave with a blanket covering her). An eerie long line of fans awaits her as she leaves her hotel. They stand blankly in line cameras at the ready, not sure which SUV holds the star. The cast of a Broadway musical eagerly crowd around her and try desperately to relate to her but a few minutes conversation reveals how many worlds away from them she is. All the same age, same jobs but only one of them has a "baby daddy" who disallows her to leave LA. While the others talk about which cities they prefer Britney remains silent, her only contributions being "It hurts coming back here", "I used to live here..." while her narration laments good nights out as being bittersweet because she knows how fleeting they are. It's clear she could benefits from a few friends as her team treats her much too young. But how does Britney Spears find.friends when, as she says, she needs security just to walk down a street? It's around.this point, as Britney sits alone in a darkened room, that the ugly side of fame isn't just a bad picture or a mob of fans - its a step by step breakdown of every basic human need - privacy, friendship, acceptance, peace - until you're nothing but a blank slate piece of public property.
Ultimately, despite the tacked on happy ending, this is a depressingly honest examination of fame and a young woman who personifies the best and worst of it. She examines herself, her fame, why she still works within this industry and how she made it through the darkest part of her life. She doesn't have concrete answers or explanations for all her actions (and considering she was unknowingly being drugged for the good part of 2007, does she even remember some things?) but she does offer a decent amount of introspection and insight into a very complicated, layered situation.
I would recommend this to anyone studying modern fame, anyone looking to change their opinion of Brit or any fan of Britney's.
