By Chris Kriofske
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Jeffrey Friedman | Rob Epstein
Country: united_states
Year: 2019
Running time: 95
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10011448/reference
Chris says: “After a few stabs at making biopics (HOWL, LOVELACE), veteran nonfiction filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman return to form with a slick but affecting documentary about one of the greatest vocalists of her generation. While not held in such high critical esteem as a Joni Mitchell or even a Carole King, Linda Ronstadt is actually a terrific choice for a career-spanning study like this: not only was she an exceptional singer, but she could and did sing everything, from folk to rock to pop to even light opera, standards and traditional Mexican songs. The contrast between her talent and her down-to-earth, girl-next-door persona (a now 73-year-old Ronstadt narrates the film) intrigues, even if the film never fully reconciles this gap, which widens further as it proceeds. Still, such an assemblage of archival footage and new interviews, while not necessarily original or even all that deep, nonetheless spotlights a figure that had mainstream appeal but also broke ground as a new kind of female pop star for her era. 3.5 cats”
Julie B. says: “Worth the watch. I loved all the historical performance footage. Having grown up in Texas I appreciated Linda’s appreciation for Mexican and (good old) Country. Chris is right that there are things that perhaps could have been delved further into from then to now, but perhaps that’s something Linda didn’t want to go any further into. Interesting film nonetheless that makes you want to find out more about her. 4 cats“