Celebrities are often described as being “vulnerable” in documentaries, but it’s never been more fitting in this case. Here, Celine Dion opens up about her near-paralyzing illness, which affects her vocal cords and muscles and consequently prohibits her from performing on stage. We see clips of the star having spasms and breakdowns as she tries and fails and tries again to get her voice back. More than just a simple biography of what Dion has achieved, which we already know is massive, the film is largely about the doubt that creeps in and threatens to rock your sense of self, and the strength of the human spirit to persevere despite all that. The film is bracingly, unflinchingly raw, but it’s never exploitative, thanks partly to director Irene Taylor’s gentle direction and to Dion’s unwavering resilience.
Genre: Documentary, Music
Actor: Céline Dion, Claude 'Mégo' Lemay, Eddy Angélil, James Corden, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jimmy Fallon, John Farnham, Natalie Hamel-Roy, Nelson Angélil, René Angélil, René-Charles Angélil, Ryan Reynolds, Thérèse Tanguay-Dion
Director: Irene Taylor
Rating: PG
