Should the Duke and Duchess of Sussex be blamed? One of the most disturbing audiovisual trends of 2023? They came into the spotlight and made headlines last year with the Netflix docuseries ‘Enrique and Meghan’, in which they told us from a first-person perspective the details of their love, their individual triumphs and how the intrusive media tried to ruin it all. Project supported by the director’s prestige Liz Garbus, a two-time Oscar nominee, is devoted to the somewhat futile struggle to place this story in a broader historical and political context. almost speakable shared authorship.
In recent months, we’ve seen how Netflix has doubled down on its commitment to these issues. biographical documentaries produced in collaboration with study subjects, self-tributes overseen by public relations agencies rather than behind-the-scenes investigations. It arrived at the end of January in a long format. ‘Pamela Anderson: A Love Story’The ‘Baywatch’ actress’ reaction to ‘Pam and Tommy’ But this series didn’t leave her in such a bad light. It came a few months later ‘Arnold’ (Schwarzenegger), then (David) ‘Beckham’, ‘Sly’ (Stallone) and ‘Robi Williams’. Meanwhile, pop stars Taylor Swift And Beyonce In the second one, they triumphed in cinemas with their touring films, which they produced and even directed.
Although they are often classified as documentaries, these titles often lack the journalistic objectivity we want (or want) to associate with the genre. They are rather the animated equivalent of authoritative biographies in which points of friction are smoothed (or eliminated altogether)these aspects of a life and work that artists would prefer us to forget.
constructed intimacy
Netflix’s own documentaries are similar Accidentally cozy atmosphere, in a clear and deliberate attempt to create an air of domesticity. The interviews are held in the stars’ homes, not on a set with an abstract background. As with many pandemic shows or ‘Architectural Digest’ tours of celebrity homes, the fun may be in analyzing decorating and furnishing decisions.
To appear frank, Robbie Williams spends the documentary series in her underwear In bed in his Los Angeles mansion. Just as Charlie Puth didn’t bother making a bed for his special coronavirus musical ‘One World: Together at Home,’ he’s staring at footage of his past self on an undusted laptop. At least Victoria Beckham knows the mastery of it all: we see him calling his cute dog Olive to sit next to him: “So I will look beautiful”. To which David responds curiously: “You’ll need more than one. You should bring the other two, too.” Schwarzenegger, of course, shows off his donkey and dwarf horse.
What is not seen
television columnist Patrick FreyneFrom ‘The Irish Times’ recently wondered whether David Beckham is promoting all that cozy aesthetic, cardigans included. Breaking the chill in the reception of Qatar’s millionaire deal to become the image of the World Cup and coincidentally, I will be the country’s tourism ambassador for ten years. Like his alleged relationship with Rebecca Loos, this is a topic not directly addressed in ‘Beckham.’
It’s understandable that a professional in any field, like Sylvester Stallone in the movie ‘Sly’, doesn’t want to talk about family matters. But is this it? Former Rocky Balboa also doesn’t want to talk about his ‘softcore’ past It’s neither a disastrous sequel to ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (“Staying Alive”) nor a comedy in which he dares to sing country with Dolly Parton (“Rhinestone”). Only ‘hits’ are played in this performance.
There’s something more honest Robbie Williams devotes himself to a slightly depressing examination of the endless effects of fame: addictions, insecurities, hostilities.. However, in this case, the inclusion of other perspectives is missing; confirming, or better yet denying, the star’s statements. As Rachel Aroesti wrote in her review for The Guardian, “It’s hard to connect emotionally with someone if you see them all the time.” And if these people are ridiculously rich and don’t realize it, the process of empathizing becomes even more difficult.
real wrinkles
The success of these products is not surprising: although they are the most modest, the biographies that really sell are often those signed by the hero. And a very small ghostwriter (or writers), sometimes referred to as ‘collaborators’, who shapes the story and develops the prose. Britney Spears didn’t even name them in ‘I Am Woman’: “You already know who you are”, she limited herself to telling them in her thank yous.
We don’t ask our favorite celebrities (or so it seems) about their real wrinkles, their contradictions, their self-inflicted bad moments. That’s what indie rock artist Liz Phair dared to do in her memoir ‘Horror Stories’: talk about the bad things she did and the things she should have and shouldn’t have done. But it’s rare among a handful of people Beautiful stories that leave no room for original self-criticism. Real gods don’t get paid just to be interesting mortals.