Sometimes your best isn't good enough, even when your best is the stuff legends are made of. This is the disheartening reality of pursuing your dreams examined in Twenty Feet from Stardom, a new documentary following the careers of six female back-up singers.
The visual storytelling is simple: traditional talking head format on the subjects themselves mixed with celebrity interviews to draw in the average viewer. That viewer may not know Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Claudia Lennear, or Lisa Fischer by name, but they probably heard their voices on some of the most popular songs of all time. If that's not enough to perk your curiosity, then you may find it hard to sit through.
The film does a solid job intercutting between each woman"”presenting the rise and fall of their careers, the details on their experiences in the music business, the famous musicians they played with or studied under, why their solo careers didn't pan out"”and most importantly: where are they now? The answers to that question will provide some of the biggest surprises in the film. However, this ode to the unsung isn't able to fly without hitting a few rough patches of its own.
The storylines of Táta Vega and Judith Hill are the most problematic. Vega's storyline was already marginalized to begin with, so if the filmmakers reduced her role, it would have given the movie room to add depth on the other subjects they touched on. Hill (seen on NBC's The Voice) is introduced so late in the film. She represents the new school of aspiring solo artists today. We learn why she's notable, but not what makes her unique as an artist or person.
Today, untalented people can get famous off one YouTube video. The film fails to capture the modern day intricacies of why a talent like Judith Hill still plays in the background. But it should give you a different perspective on musical careers. It's not easy to do"¦ and it can't be mastered by everyone.
