I’m not really a Katy Perry fan; I hardly knew anything
about her. That’s why I went to see “Katy Perry: All of Me,” a documentary
directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz, which follows the popular pop star
on her 2011 California Dream world tour. In some respects it’s one big Katy
Perry commercial, but she is so engaging and likable that it’s hard not to jump
on her bandwagon. The film begins with a time-lapse montage of the crew
building the stage in whatever arena she and the band are playing that night.
And with Perry, her look is as important as her music, so her entourage includes
costumers, makeup artists, etc. What’s interesting is that most of these people
were with her before she became famous. Her loyalty to the people she’s known
for a long time is a recurring theme in the film and certainly an admirable
characteristic.
We see footage of her father, a Pentecostal minster,
preaching, and learn from Perry and her sister that their upbringing was
strictly religious. Perry began writing and singing Christian songs and made an
album, but when she heard an Alanis Morissette album, she realized that there
was more to the world and music so she left home at 17 and moved to Los
Angeles. Various record companies recognized Perry’s talent, but they wanted to
shape her into someone she wasn’t. When she resisted, she was dropped. We get a
good sense of how hard she worked before anyone knew who she was. We see
Russell Brand from time to time backstage and throughout the grueling tour. The
disintegration of their relationship appears to happen suddenly. Perry’s
manager says that she hid it well because everyone was surprised. We see Perry
at her most vulnerable, but we also see her strength and resilience. We also
see how much she values her fans and how much they love her. I still may not be
a Katy Perry fan, but “Katy Perry: Part of Me” presents her as likable and hard
working. 7/6/12
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