Teenage dreams are made of this
By Jake Coyle |
July 15, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IT'S a good thing the makers of "Katy Perry: Part of Me" aren't in politics. They'd probably steal the election.
"Part of Me" and its forerunner, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," are mesmerizing pieces of pop propaganda. Both 3D concert films give a reality TV-style portrait of a young star, scrubbed clean, at the pinnacle of pop: touring sold-out arenas while making Herculean sacrifices, always finding time for their fans and goofing around with their entourages.
They're unabashedly commercial movies made about unabashedly commercial enterprises. And yet they're kind of fascinating.
That's because "Part of Me" is as good a document you're likely to find of modern pop stardom: how it's packaged, how it's sold and what kind of power it holds over screaming tween girls.
The film, directed by reality show veterans Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, follows Perry's 2011 California Dreams world tour. The 124-concert extravaganza came on the heels of her hit album "Teenage Dream," the only album to chart five No. 1 hits for a female performer.
A large chunk of the film is made up of 3D footage of the concerts (songs like "Firework" and "California Gurls") performed on candy-colored stages that look like Willy Wonka threw up on.
But much of the documentary is spent telling "Katy's story," and certainly, the blue-haired, dinner-plate eyed 27-year-old makes for a compelling character. The daughter of pastors, Perry first tried Christian songwriting as a 13-year-old and later, in Los Angeles, went through various incarnations before emerging as a star with "I Kissed a Girl."
As artificial as much of the apparatus surrounding Perry may be, none of it works without her charisma at the center. That comes through in "Part of Me," as does her intense drive to succeed after early failures.
"Part of Me," though, doesn't succeed as a full picture of Perry. A less PG-friendly, more complicated version of the star surely exists off-screen. The film often feels like a tease, showing only, well, part of Perry.
The "money shot" of the film is when cameras catch Perry crying in her dressing room following her split from husband Russell Brand (who's seen fleetingly backstage).
It's an honest moment. The finest shot of "Part of Me" is Perry seconds before she goes on stage that night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, bent over sobbing and then seconds later - with the professionalism of a true performer - papering over the heartbreak with a broad smile while chants for "Kay-Tee!" roar and the peppermint-colored wheels on her dress start to spin.
It would mean more if accompanied by more context of Perry's emotional life, rather than served up as evidence of her humility. But that's the sleight of hand of "Part of Me," which can even use genuine sorrow to feign depth.
Watching "Part of Me" through aqua- and pink-colored 3D glasses in a crowd of girls singing along, Perry's songs don't feel vapid but rather like anthems of self-empowerment. The pop experience - exuberant, superficial, fun, crass - couldn't be mirrored better.
"Part of Me" and its forerunner, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," are mesmerizing pieces of pop propaganda. Both 3D concert films give a reality TV-style portrait of a young star, scrubbed clean, at the pinnacle of pop: touring sold-out arenas while making Herculean sacrifices, always finding time for their fans and goofing around with their entourages.
They're unabashedly commercial movies made about unabashedly commercial enterprises. And yet they're kind of fascinating.
That's because "Part of Me" is as good a document you're likely to find of modern pop stardom: how it's packaged, how it's sold and what kind of power it holds over screaming tween girls.
The film, directed by reality show veterans Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, follows Perry's 2011 California Dreams world tour. The 124-concert extravaganza came on the heels of her hit album "Teenage Dream," the only album to chart five No. 1 hits for a female performer.
A large chunk of the film is made up of 3D footage of the concerts (songs like "Firework" and "California Gurls") performed on candy-colored stages that look like Willy Wonka threw up on.
But much of the documentary is spent telling "Katy's story," and certainly, the blue-haired, dinner-plate eyed 27-year-old makes for a compelling character. The daughter of pastors, Perry first tried Christian songwriting as a 13-year-old and later, in Los Angeles, went through various incarnations before emerging as a star with "I Kissed a Girl."
As artificial as much of the apparatus surrounding Perry may be, none of it works without her charisma at the center. That comes through in "Part of Me," as does her intense drive to succeed after early failures.
"Part of Me," though, doesn't succeed as a full picture of Perry. A less PG-friendly, more complicated version of the star surely exists off-screen. The film often feels like a tease, showing only, well, part of Perry.
The "money shot" of the film is when cameras catch Perry crying in her dressing room following her split from husband Russell Brand (who's seen fleetingly backstage).
It's an honest moment. The finest shot of "Part of Me" is Perry seconds before she goes on stage that night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, bent over sobbing and then seconds later - with the professionalism of a true performer - papering over the heartbreak with a broad smile while chants for "Kay-Tee!" roar and the peppermint-colored wheels on her dress start to spin.
It would mean more if accompanied by more context of Perry's emotional life, rather than served up as evidence of her humility. But that's the sleight of hand of "Part of Me," which can even use genuine sorrow to feign depth.
Watching "Part of Me" through aqua- and pink-colored 3D glasses in a crowd of girls singing along, Perry's songs don't feel vapid but rather like anthems of self-empowerment. The pop experience - exuberant, superficial, fun, crass - couldn't be mirrored better.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
