Rated
PG (Some Suggestive Content, Language, Thematic Elements and Brief Smoking)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 37 Minutes
Cast-
Katy
Perry
Russell
Brand
Shannon
Woodward
Glen
Ballard
Adele
Laurie Blue Adkins/Adele (cameo)
Robyn
'Rihanna' Fenty (cameo)
Stefani
Joanne Angelina Germanotta/Lady Gaga (cameo)
Justin
Bieber (cameo)
Jessica
Cornish/Jessie J (cameo)
Keith
Hudson
Mary
Hudson
Angela
Hudson
David
Daniel Hudson
Directed
by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz
 |
| Katy Perry with her mascot, Kitty Purry, in her new documentary/concert film, "Katy Perry: Part of Me." |
'Do
you ever feel like a plastic bag / Drifting through the wind, wanting to start
again? / Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin / Like a house of cards, one blow
from caving in? / Do you ever feel already buried deep? / Six feet under
screams, but no one seems to hear a thing / Do you know that there's still a
chance for you / 'Cause there's a spark in you? / You just gotta ignite the
light and let it shine / Just own the night like the Fourth of July / 'Cause
baby, you're a firework / Come on, show 'em what you're worth / Make 'em go,
oh, oh, oh / As you shoot across the sky-y-y…' This is an excerpt from Katy
Perry's Firework, which was released
as a single on October 26, 2010 by Capitol Records and went on to sell over 6.6
million copies worldwide. The first time I heard Katy Perry's music was during
the trailer for 2009's "The Proposal," which featured her 2008 song Hot n Cold but at the time, I was
unaware that the singer was Katy
Perry. When it comes to pop music, I'm hopelessly out of the loop because
honestly, it's not my cup of tea as I prefer the orchestral sounds of Hans
Zimmer or John Williams. The only band that I actively listen to is Zooey
Deschanel and M. Ward's She & Him,
which leans more toward indie pop/folk music. Of course, I was aware of Katy
Perry peripherally due to the whole "Sesame Street" scandal (which is
a load of hooey by the way) and her much-publicized marriage to comedian
Russell Brand but as for her music, I've only heard it in passing. Although I
wasn't planning on seeing Perry's documentary/concert film "Katy Perry:
Part of Me," its shockingly positive reviews convinced me otherwise. It
may come off as a PR fluff piece at times but "Katy Perry: Part of Me"
is a surprisingly enjoyable experience thanks to its bombastic 3D concert
scenes and poignant look at a woman determined to put on the best show on earth while not shying away from the fact that
fame is a double-edged sword.
The film is
preceded by a 3D sing-a-long to You're the One That I Want from 1978's "Grease," starring
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Shot during her year-long, 124 show California Dreams Tour in 2011, "Katy
Perry: Part of Me" chronicles the meteoric rise of bubblegum pop singer
Katy Perry (real name Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson) from a child growing up in a
strict Pentecostal Christian household in Santa Barbara, California to becoming
a seemingly overnight sensation with the release of her mainstream album debut One of the Boys in 2008 from Capitol
Records. Interspersed with concert footage is a behind-the-scenes look at the
logistics of handling such a tour that is so huge in scope, along with
interviews with the professional team that works for Perry as well as her
family and friends. Her marriage to comedian Russell Brand and the devastating
effect their subsequent divorce had on her is also explored.
Edward Douglas of
ComingSoon.net writes in his review that 'it's with that cynical mentality I
went into the highly-touted 3D concert doc Katy
Perry: Part of Me, [where I was] prepared to be bombarded with all those
songs I hated and have my feelings confirmed that there's nothing beyond
Perry's shallow and superficial surface. Boy was I wrong.' This statement
perfectly encapsulates my feelings about the film as what initially seems like a
blatant cash-in to sell more albums is actually an informative and often
dazzling look at how Katy Perry came to be what she is today. The girl who
would go on to become the first woman in music history to have five number one singles, a feat that
only Michael Jackson achieved, was born on October 25, 1984 in Santa Barbara,
California to Mary and Keith Hudson, who were Pentecostal preachers who forbade
their daughter from listening to 'secular music.' Her parents wouldn't even let
their children (Perry has one older sister, Angela Hudson, and one younger
brother, David Hudson) eat Lucky Charms
cereal because they believed the concept of luck was the work of the Devil. Although
frequently mistaken as an overnight sensation after her first single, I Kissed a Girl, became an instant hit
when it was released on April 28, 2008, Perry had already been struggling in
the music industry for quite some time since the age of seventeen when she
heard Alanis Morissette sing Jagged
Little Pill on VH1, which was her first exposure to mainstream music. Prior
to that, Perry had a short-lived career as a gospel singer and even released an
album titled Katy Hudson but it was a
commercial flop, selling only 100 copies despite some positive reviews. During
her time with Columbia Records, the record label tried to turn her into the
next Avril Lavigne and there's a humorous scene in the film where she attempts
to come off as angry while playfully throwing a stool. She was later paired
with production team The Matrix as
its female vocalist but the project fell through and Columbia ended up dropping
her from their label. It wasn't until her publicist stole Perry's files from
Columbia and brought her to the attention of Capitol Records that she finally
achieved mainstream success and the film hammers home its themes of
perseverance and self-confidence, of staying true to who you are.
I was
impressed to learn that Perry takes an active role in writing her own songs, a
fact that many of her detractors ignore. "Katy Perry: Part of Me" is
ultimately a rags-to-riches tale but even with all the interviews and fan
testimonials that predictably talk up how great Perry is—there's a genuine
sincerity to it because the film does not shy away from showing the singer at
her most vulnerable. Perry describes her marriage to Russell Brand as something
of a fairy tale but reality soon gives her a wake-up call when the comedian
filed for divorce in December, 2011 while she was doing her California Dreams Tour. We see her sans
make-up sobbing uncontrollably while her screaming fans in São Paulo, Brazil
eagerly wait for her to appear. This is the moment where Perry earns my respect
because even though her personal life is in shambles, she really does care
about her fans and puts on a smile before finally emerging on-stage. The
failure of her marriage is not for lack of trying as Perry is shown flying from
one show and then back to the UK to spend time with Brand despite the toll it
takes on her. Although he shows up in a couple of scenes, Brand is never
painted as the 'bad-guy.' People may complain about her but underneath Perry's
candy-coated exterior is a professional who takes her work and her fans
seriously. The film candidly serves as a reminder that she is just a human
being like us despite her worldwide fame.
As for the concert aspect of the
film, I came away both impressed and slightly disappointed as the songs are
never played in its entirety due to being interspersed with interviews and
behind-the-scenes footage. With its vibrant Candyland-like
theme, the show is definitely well-put together and a feast for the eyes. Perry
even goes through seven costume
changes using some sleight of hand techniques while singing Hot n Cold. Most of her more popular
songs such as the aforementioned I Kissed
a Girl, Teenage Dream, Peacock, Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.), California
Gurls, and of course, Firework,
make an appearance. In fact, the film really packs a lot of content despite its
ninety-seven minute running time. I wonder if her fans notice how sexually
suggestive some of her music is, although I admit that her lyrics are
definitely catchy. The 3D is only used for the concert footage but it certainly
adds to the immersive factor of the film.
"Katy Perry: Part of Me"
was released on June 5, 2012 to positive reviews with 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics found that it 'succeeds on the strengths of the pop star's genuine
likability, inspiring work ethic, and dazzling stage show, even if it plays
somewhat like a PR puff piece at times.' However, if you look on IMDB, the film
has an astonishingly low rating of 3.7. Pay absolutely no attention to this because I doubt any of the people who are
rating it a one has even seen the film. Honestly, I do not understand what
satisfaction they could derive from down-rating a film or vice versa. Despite
an aggressive marketing campaign, "Katy Perry: Part of Me" flopped at
the box office with an opening weekend debut of only $7.1 million and a
four-day total of $11.2 million, less than 2009's "Jonas Brothers: The 3D
Concert Experience," which is viewed as a notorious flop that received
overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics. There were approximately fifteen
people when I saw the film during a late afternoon screening, mostly comprised
of women and teenage girls—plus a grand total of two men (including me) in the theater. While I won't be running out
to buy all her music, I came away with a newfound respect for the pop singer
after seeing "Katy Perry: Part of Me" and I will admit to being shot
with an arrow of what fans call 'Katy Perry-ness.' Those who are already
hardcore Katy Cats will love her even more after seeing this film but others
who are simply curious will find it hard not to get swept up in her
candy-coated world that involves being shot with whip cream from a bazooka.
Final
Rating: 4 out of 5
"Thank
you for believing in my weirdness!"
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