Celine Dion might not be a name you’ve heard in a while, but that isn’t due to her quitting the music business – she’s been fighting a health battle. That fight, against Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), is captured in this documentary movie about the singer, which arrived on Amazon Prime Video last week.
At the time of publishing, the I Am Celine Dion movie has a flawless 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score, making it one of the most tempting options for this weekend’s movie night. That perfect score isn’t down to a lack of reviews, either, with 26 from critics (albeit fewer than 50 from the audience).
The movie documents the singer’s 40-year career while also tackling her struggles with the rare neurological disorder she is battling. It starts at her childhood in Quebec, aged 14, and journeys through her unique career – including her teenage hits of My Heart Will Go On and Because You Loved Me.
Unexpected reality
While filming the documentary, director Irene Taylor and the crew experienced Dion having an attack during a physical therapy session. According to reports, the audience at the movie screening could be heard weeping during this powerful scene.
After following Dion for a year to capture enough footage to make the movie, the director said: “She was down to earth with me, so I just wanted to show the woman who showed me herself.”
It turned out that Dion had been suffering with symptoms for over 17 years and was lying to the world. Even the director did not find out about her physical struggles until after filming had begun.
Speaking of the unique way in which the movie was made, Taylor said: “She did not get involved in my editing. She did not ask me to change anything. It is a rare opportunity to be able to make a film about a public figure and have that much agency.”
For fans and the fascinated
While made as a fan film, I Am Celine Dion grew into something of a brutal portrait of the chronic illness. Sure, it’s filled with her music that both moves and entertains, but you can expect this one to be a tear-jerker.
This is, rather uniquely, a one-person show; Celine is under the spotlight alone, so this isn’t your usual talking heads style documentary. As such, it’s a far more raw and grounded movie than you might expect.
The question is asked: “Who is the Grammy-winning international singer without her voice?” And the answer is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt not enough, suffered alone or had to fight a battle where grasping onto hope was half the struggle.
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