Review of What Happened, Miss Simone? (2015) by Dillinger P — 28 Jun 2015

It's risky business, creating a 75% archival footage documentary on a world renowned and iconic figure like Nina Simone, she was more than just a musician, she was a revolutionary, a victim and a force to be reckoned with.

What happened, gives you about as much insight as one could need into the ultra talented, yet troubled star, using never before heard interview tapes, archival footage of performances and interviews and merging them with present day interviews with Nina's daughter and fellow friends and band mates.

However much like Nina's music, this risky formula in which, many modern day documentaries has fled away from, issues a jolt of raw and powerful emotion. Instead of see the occasional photo with a voice over, here we get meltdowns on stage, interview tapes with the legend herself and inserts from her diary explaining the domestic abuse and lack of personality, or struggle with it at least.

Its extremely insightful and its made all the more potent with the inclusion of Nina's daughter and a huge chunk in the middle documenting the revolution herself, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, to name a few, tried to lead.

It's a well balanced documentary, its heart warming and emotional, powerful and raw, gritty yet remorseful. The language of the times is conveyed perfectly, we get everything we could want and more about the legends life, it is a truly back to basics and remarkable document, which will forever cement the iconic voice in our brains for many more years to come.

A stripped down but effective way of story telling and one, might I add, that is all the better for it. Worth your time and money.