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LOVE TO LOVE YOU, DONNA SUMMER (2023) (HBO) Max. An intimate documentary about the life and career of the 'Queen of Disco', Donna Summer. Co-Directed by Summer's daughter Brooklyn Sudano (with Roger Ross Williams), the movie takes a very personal viewpoint on the singer's career.
There is no formal narration, but, fortunately, Summer left behind a very large collection of personal recordings (she was an early adopter of home video cameras) and writings. As a superstar, her career was also well-documented which only added to the family's wealth of archive of material. There are no 'talking heads' per se; instead, the 'narration' is largely formed from those recordings.
It's a fairly nontraditional form for those expecting a more straightforward 'Behind The Music' biographical doc, but, it mostly works. It progresses more or less chronologically - save for an oddly placed segment that flash-forwards to the recording and release of 'Bad Girls'. The most interesting aspect to casual fans is the portion given over to her pre-disco career where she went from leaving her family in Massachusetts to doing the play 'Hair' to going to Europe to start her professional singing career. Once 'Love to Love You, Baby' came out, her image as a sexed up disco diva was set. It certainly jump-started her success, but, the doc shows that it came at a personal price both in her private relationships, and her mental and physical health.
The disco label made it difficult for Summer to transition to non-dance oriented music, and like the Bee Gees, it hurt her on a commercial level, as well (she only had one Top 10 single after 1982). Even at the height of her fame she tried to break out beyond the image, but it was too strong to many. She continued to record up until a few years before her passing.
LOVE TO LOVE YOU, DONNA SUMMER is an authorized biography with all three of Summer's daughters and her widower, musician Bruce Sudano, all appearing and relating their memories. Still, there are some quite dark truths and observations revealed. It not sanitized.
There is no formal narration, but, fortunately, Summer left behind a very large collection of personal recordings (she was an early adopter of home video cameras) and writings. As a superstar, her career was also well-documented which only added to the family's wealth of archive of material. There are no 'talking heads' per se; instead, the 'narration' is largely formed from those recordings.
It's a fairly nontraditional form for those expecting a more straightforward 'Behind The Music' biographical doc, but, it mostly works. It progresses more or less chronologically - save for an oddly placed segment that flash-forwards to the recording and release of 'Bad Girls'. The most interesting aspect to casual fans is the portion given over to her pre-disco career where she went from leaving her family in Massachusetts to doing the play 'Hair' to going to Europe to start her professional singing career. Once 'Love to Love You, Baby' came out, her image as a sexed up disco diva was set. It certainly jump-started her success, but, the doc shows that it came at a personal price both in her private relationships, and her mental and physical health.
The disco label made it difficult for Summer to transition to non-dance oriented music, and like the Bee Gees, it hurt her on a commercial level, as well (she only had one Top 10 single after 1982). Even at the height of her fame she tried to break out beyond the image, but it was too strong to many. She continued to record up until a few years before her passing.
LOVE TO LOVE YOU, DONNA SUMMER is an authorized biography with all three of Summer's daughters and her widower, musician Bruce Sudano, all appearing and relating their memories. Still, there are some quite dark truths and observations revealed. It not sanitized.
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