Following her success on MySpace, Lily Allen's career has taken off with millions of album sales and consecutive hit singles. It has been a few months since Lily's former manager last saw her (and a few years since he managed her) and so George Lamb flies out to join her in New York on her tour of North America. Following her across the states to LA, Lamb tries to work out if she is still alright and happy in her new celerity.
I'm not particularly a fan of Lily Allen; it is not that I have any strong dislike for her either but just that I don't really follow pop or celebrity gossip. However it was a wet Sunday afternoon (as they all have been this bl00dy summer in the UK) when this documentary came on and I ended up watching it. The film gets good access to Allen in regards getting her chatting but, from what I hear, getting Allen to speak her mind is not that much of a challenge. Here and there she is a bit vulnerable which makes it more interesting as it goes beyond the interviews that ask her the same questions over and over. I'm not sure if Lamb is the reason for this or not, but I guess him knowing her does encourage her to relax in the way that she doesn't seem to do with others. That said, maybe she was rolling her eyes once Lamb walks away as well.
If he does help in this regard then the presence of Lamb is much more detrimental in other ways. He is a bit lacking in presence and charisma and it doesn't help that he certainly has no intension of upsetting Allen. So he preens along with her, laughing easily and coming over as very superficial himself. He seems happy just to be back in the inner-circle (although he really isn't) and doesn't want to rock the boat. The film gives him moments to one side to offer insights on Allen but really he has nothing of value to say. Luckily Allen herself is on good form and she does make for a lively subject personally I don't think I learnt a great deal about her but she comes over quite natural and engaging.
Overall then this is an entertaining film for fans of Allen but it is not the investigatory documentary that the title suggests mostly because Lamb is a pretty weak presenter who seems more interested in being back in Allen's good books rather making this film although it is amusing to see him having to deal with the fact that she has so much power and he really has none, but knowing that he has to smile and take it.
I'm not particularly a fan of Lily Allen; it is not that I have any strong dislike for her either but just that I don't really follow pop or celebrity gossip. However it was a wet Sunday afternoon (as they all have been this bl00dy summer in the UK) when this documentary came on and I ended up watching it. The film gets good access to Allen in regards getting her chatting but, from what I hear, getting Allen to speak her mind is not that much of a challenge. Here and there she is a bit vulnerable which makes it more interesting as it goes beyond the interviews that ask her the same questions over and over. I'm not sure if Lamb is the reason for this or not, but I guess him knowing her does encourage her to relax in the way that she doesn't seem to do with others. That said, maybe she was rolling her eyes once Lamb walks away as well.
If he does help in this regard then the presence of Lamb is much more detrimental in other ways. He is a bit lacking in presence and charisma and it doesn't help that he certainly has no intension of upsetting Allen. So he preens along with her, laughing easily and coming over as very superficial himself. He seems happy just to be back in the inner-circle (although he really isn't) and doesn't want to rock the boat. The film gives him moments to one side to offer insights on Allen but really he has nothing of value to say. Luckily Allen herself is on good form and she does make for a lively subject personally I don't think I learnt a great deal about her but she comes over quite natural and engaging.
Overall then this is an entertaining film for fans of Allen but it is not the investigatory documentary that the title suggests mostly because Lamb is a pretty weak presenter who seems more interested in being back in Allen's good books rather making this film although it is amusing to see him having to deal with the fact that she has so much power and he really has none, but knowing that he has to smile and take it.
