Review of 20 Feet from Stardom (2013) by Amilcar A — 29 Jun 2013

Let's start with this premise. If you are going to make a movie about backup vocalists and don't include the ladies that sing with Pink Floyd this is already rotten.

Now, 20 ft from Stardom is an OK documentary with some interesting stories and some great tunes. However the film seems too scattered, there are way too many stories and for the most part, it's lacking that true punch that makes some docs really powerful.

This is a story about people that have as much talent or more than many of the people they work for and for some reason, they cannot (or sometimes don't want) to break that ceiling. Many of these women and men that sing backup for major acts, sing like angels and have so much raw talent it's scary. Yet many of them even after trying and putting out records, just don't get the level of success many lesser talents do.

There is something to be said about this. For one, entertainment is an industry that has more to do with luck and circumstance than pure talent. Second, there is more than talent to success. There are egos, energy and ambition that not everyone has.

20 Ft from Stardom could have been a lot better if it had been less random and had more focus. Sadly, it tries to bite more than it can chew and ultimately just feels confused and light.