If you watch one film this week, I'd recommend I Am : Celine Dion, which was released on Amazon Prime Video in late June. It's a searingly honest look at the superstar's battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, which is so rare it only affects one in a million people.
It's heartbreaking to watch Dion trying over and over again to lay down a new track in the studio, as her voice cracks and her body refuses to comply with her passion to sing. We watch her mental torment first hand, and I'll not hear the recent song Love Again in the same way again. As Celine herself says, singing is all she's ever known, and I can't imagine what it must be like to have that taken away, and effectively be a hostage to your own body's breakdown. No amount of wealth or material possessions (including a staggering amount of shoes!) can provide any consolation.
We see flashbacks of huge world tours gone by, but much of the focus is on now, following Dion's official diagnosis in 2022 (she first experienced symptoms back in 2008). She comes aross as open, honest, kind, and respectful towards her fans. I hope she knows she's let no-one down. Even if you're not a fan, this is a superb, candid film.
Bikeriders is best described as solid, steady and quite violent, and whilst memories of it will ride off into the sunset after you leave the cinema, it's certainly enjoyable. The cast make it special, in particular Jodie Comer as Kathy, who is drawn to biker Benny (Austin Butler), who is a member of a Midwestern motorbike club run by Johnny (Tom Hardy). All three actors are at the top of their game. Comer's accent is flawless, unlke Stephen Graham's faltering Scouse-American hybrid in the second Venom movie which was on Channel 4 recently.
The Vandals quickly evolve from a small town friendly club into something far more sinister and violent, and as things spiral out of control of its original founders, Benny has to make a choice between Kathy and the club. The ending is not a big surprise really, there are no huge twists, and there isn't that much action really. Having said all that, the cast definitely make up for some shallow characters and thin plotlines, evoking some of the smouldering on-screen swagger of James Dean and Marlon Brando.
Also this week, I rewatched the Bafta award-winning film Pride on its tenth anniversary, which has been back on the big screen at selected cinemas. It's a joyous, uplifting film about standing up against oppression, and an unlikely alliance between a group of gay friends and striking miners in 1984. Lots of humour, and it's aged pretty well I think. Political without being preachy, and a call for oppressed groups to use their voice and stand together. Matt Lucas was recently asked on Twitter "when are we holding straight Pride parades?", to which he replied "when people get killed for being straight".
Alex B Cann weekly film column
