(***/12)
The job of a good documentary is to speak truths. The job of a music documentary is to do that and mesmerize audiences with alluring vocals, instrumentals, songs and tunes. And in this case, stage performances too. In that way, this mus/doc gets the job done.
Montero Lamar Hill was 19 years old when he rode his first hit song “Old Town Road” to fame and fortune. It sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 19 weeks. Longest run ever. Black, white, hip hop, country, pop and all kinds of music listeners bought that tune. A unique, inclusive mix of music lovers. But as Lil Nas X took a hard left turn and came out as a gay man, some fans departed, some stayed and some came onboard for the first time.
Mexican-American director Carlos López Estrada claimed his turf as an innovative indie filmmaker with the thoughtful anti-gentrification movie Blindspotting. Co-director Zac Manuel is a cinematographer who has worked on Harry Styles and Nas videos. It’s no wonder this doc is so deeply contemplative and visually stunning too. Their camerawork, along with that by cinematographer Pablo Berren, catches Nas in elaborate concert song/dance routines with stunning lighting and dazzling movement (choreographer Sean Bankhead).
That extravagance is balanced by nuanced-lit scenes of intimate moments when Nas, his family and entourage confess their most personal thoughts about life on the road on this first tour. Nas: “I want to go places I’ve never been before … I like a bit of chaos.” He is particularly candid about his sexuality, response to criticisms and relationships with his dad, brother and stepmom. How revealing is he? Did you know he likes to poop before performances. You do now.
Andrew Morrow’s editing is tight, quick and doesn’t let scenes languish. Costumes, sets and production design up the ante. This is a fun, fluid portrait of a young man on a voyage of discovery and he’s taking viewers along for the ride. The loudness of the film subsides for a moment when he sings the vulnerable and endearing song “Sun Goes Down:” “I know that you want to cry, but it’s much more to life than dying over your past mistakes and people who threw dirt on your name.” Equally tender is him singing Deneice Williams’ hit “Free,” as he shows respect for the singer/songwriters who came before him: “Whispering in his ear, my magic potion for love. Telling him I’m sincere, and there’s nothing too good for us.”
If Little Richard and Michael Jackson have a legacy, it is Lil Nas X. Fans will be overjoyed with this tell-all music travelogue that will be fun to watch on streaming services or MTV. Somewhere where fans, gawkers and the curious can ride till they can’t no more.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeeUapzP_zg
For more information about the Toronto International Film Festival go to https://tiff.net/.
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.