Doc Corner: 'Miss Sharon Jones!'
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 10:40AM Glenn here. Each Tuesday we bring you reviews and features on documentaries from theatres, festivals, and on demand.
Barbara Kopple is an old-fashioned filmmaker who is free of flash. Whether she is documenting the lives of everyday people or celebrities, she has a knack for zeroing in on subjects whose lives demand closer inspection. We saw this in Shut Up & Sing about the Dixie Chicks and her Oscar-winning debut masterpiece Harlan County, USA, even in A Conversation with Gregory Peck, which we looked at recently. And we see it again in her latest film, Miss Sharon Jones! What could have been a simple tribute doc becomes something much more poignant by pointing her camera at a subject who’s trademark energy and spirit has been pointedly struck down my destructive cancer and its ramifications on those around her.
The early parts of Kopple’s film are actually a lot like its subject: hectic. A rough start that shows signs of a filmmaker at uncharacteristic odds with how to tell her story. In these early passages we get our only instances of awkward narration, out-of-place talking head testimonial that never appear again, and an all-too brief history lesson that isn’t thorough enough to add anything of any real consequence. The editing is skittish, bouncing around the story, cutting off performances, and taking unnecessary diversions. Was Jones not allowing herself to be truly seen on camera? Who knows, but it thankfully doesn’t last when at the 30-minute mark Kopple’s camera remains fixed on Jones as she performs “The Eye is On the Sparrow” in a gospel church. It doesn’t cut, it doesn’t flinch, it just lets Jones’ miraculous voice and performance physicality take over. The film is never the same. [more...]
After this point, Miss Sharon Jones! settles into a groove that is far more satisfying. Groove being the optimum word because if you are at all familiar with her work with the Dap-Kings then you know your toes will be tapping and her body shaking. If you are new to Jones’ music then you’re in for a treat. Kopple allows scenes are allowed to play out in greater detail, allowing for not only a more focused film, but a keener portrayal of Jones at its heart. A sequence in which a debilitated Jones explodes with anger at her band-bates, the Dap Kings, over Thanksgiving is revealing, a release party for their latest album removes the walls around Jones even further.
The final 15 minutes are devoted exclusively to Jones’ preparation and performance that closes the film and it’s such a blast to watch her in full flight that it's hard not to wish more of the film had perhaps been structured around it. The image of Jones, dressed in a sparkling dress, her head still free of hair, vulnerable to the potential for disaster on her return to the stage is the most striking image in the film. It takes its time to find it, but by its end, Miss Sharon Jones! has become a documentary with a lot to say about the perseverance of artists and the strength of its subject’s talent that is full of pathos and joy and spirit and energy. Just like Jones’ music.
Release: Out in NYC from July the 28th, LA a week later, and then around the country through August and September. All dates available at their website. VOD will follow in the fall. For those in Melbourne, it is about to play the Melbourne International Film Festival and will be a popular title at film festivals elsewhere as these sort of titles always are.
Oscar Chances: Don’t discount Barbara Kopple, although the Academy have shown reluctance to documentaries about (living) entertainers. That Jones may not be quite so well-known enough could counter that, although without major studio (even Netflix) muscle behind it it could be a struggle if the branch goes more political (certainly logical this year). The soundtrack for Miss Sharon Jones! features an original song called “I’m Still Here”, but I didn’t notice it in the film at all. Perhaps I just have a dated screener? If it somehow becomes eligible, I would suggest keeping an eye on it.
Reader Comments (4)
Can't wait! I love Sharon Jones and Barbara Kopple.
Tavis Smiley's PBS show is the best outlet for exposure to black personalities too niche or idiosyncratic for the American mainstream. His show was my introduction to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I became aware of her cancer through an earlier posting elsewhere about this documentary. Heartbroken this late bloomer has to endure after fighting so hard for the career she has now.
Glad you liked this - I saw a trailer for it and thought it looked intriguing.
David Letterman was my intro to Sharon Jones. I loved her at first listen.
About 6 years ago I went to a concert by her and man did she dance - so much vocal power, and energy.
Looking forward to this, especially since it's by Barbara Kopple.