Sharon Jones isn’t a household name, nor an artist with a breakout radio hit. But those who do know of her and her talent, will attest to her brilliance. She has been likened to a female James Brown, belting out soul and funk tunes and thrashing and shimmying like a pint sized Tina Turner. However this biopic documentary is less a music doco and more a very intimate look behind the scenes into Sharon Jones’ battle against cancer.
For the uninitiated, we are given a quick expository explanation of who Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings are as the film commences. But veteran documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple (Dixie Chicks’ Shut Up & Sing) is quick to steer the narrative of this film in a more personal direction. We are thrust into the news of Jones’ diagnosis, pancreatic cancer. The timing couldn’t be worse, Jones is gearing up to release her fifth record – Give The People What They Want – but it all needs to take a back seat as she commences treatment. We follow her journey, as she settles in with best friend Megan Hollen a nutritionist who cares for her whilst she undergoes chemotherapy. We are given one-on-one talking head style interview grabs of those closest to her, including her manager Alex Kadvan, and fellow members of the Dap-Kings like Gabe Roth (aka Bosco Mann) and Neal Sugarman. We see less of the artist and more of the person as she struggles to not only overcome her ill health, but accept her limitations during this period.
We are taken on an emotional ride, not just through Jones’ own highs and lows but it’s also a fascinating look into the difficulties of touring musicians. This health crisis for Jones puts a significant dent in the plans for the next record. A record which they were all hoping would catapult them to more recognition and success. Jones and the Dap Kings are not wealthy, they have persevered with minimal mainstream acknowledgement. Jones’ setback is not just personal, it affects the business too. However her and her band are more than just business associates, they’re the closest thing she has to family. You’ll be hard pressed to not well up when you see her usually chipper assistant manager Austen Holman choking back tears. So this fight isn’t just solely hers, all that surround her feel a need to be as supportive as possible.
What Kopple manages to capture beautifully here is the spirit, and fiery determination of a strong willed woman. Jones recounts when she first attempted to break into the music industry, how she was told by an industry executive that she was “too short, too fat, too black” to get anywhere. This didn’t stop her from chasing her dreams of being a performer. In her own words she says she never wanted to be a star, she just wanted to perform, and even though she’s never had significant commercial success getting to perform to audiences is what makes her happy. Even when she’s only just completed her treatment we see her popping in to church and busting out a spine-tingling rendition of “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” to a small congregation and you can see how engrossed in the moment she is. When Give The People What They Want finally does get released, off the back of a number of TV chat show appearances including Ellen, it earn thems a Best R&B Album Grammy Nomination. Their recognition and success feels well deserved as it was hard-earned on so many levels.
Even though the soundtrack to this film is almost exclusively that of Jones and Dap Kings tunes. Those expecting a showcase of Jones’ music, or lots of concert footage will be disappointed. Miss Sharon Jones! is a deeply personal and intimate exploration of a cancer survival story of one of America’s most underrated and under-appreciated musicians. If you weren’t a fan of her before, you will most definitely be a convert after seeing this.
Review Score: FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Running Time: 94 minutes
Miss Sharon Jones! was screening as part of the Sydney Film Festival. For more information please visit their website.
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