Review of 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) by Eric R — 10 Feb 2014

A truly interesting look behind the curtain, as it were, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM focuses on the rather unheralded contributions of back-up singers over the last fifty-odd years, with a star-studded roster of musical superstars weighing-in on their importance, as well.

One of the great pleasures of this documentary is in the way it enabled me to put faces and names to so many memorable parts from classic songs. Going along with that, as you might expect, the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic; the music clearance budget alone on this thing must've been quite staggering.

There are a couple of nagging little moments that feel overly-staged by the filmmakers, but that's a pretty minor issue when looking at the entire picture. Ultimately, I think it's something of a lightweight affair, but that's no sleight to the extraordinary talent on display, and the entire film is wrapped-up in an entertaining and touching package.