Running time: 75 minutes
Starring: Britney Spears (archive footage), Dave Holmes, Wesley Morris, Felicia Culotta
Directed by: Samantha Stark
The story: Since 2008, Britney Spears has been living under the conservatorship over seen by her father. This film explores her rise to fame, her treatment by the press and the fan driven movement #freebritney
The verdict: In 2009, I saw Britney in concert. Though a consummate professional throughout, putting on a great and entertaining show, I remember thinking that it felt a lot like she was just going through the motions. She only addressed the audience once and there was a lack of a spark in her eyes. At the time, I put that down to the fact that she had done a number of tour dates and was probably exhausted. However, now I can see how much more was going on behind the scenes.
With documentary films, it can be easy to become biased towards a certain side or point of view because that’s how most documentaries work - they show the audience what will support the story that they’re telling. With Framing Britney Spears, I think that the use of archival footage allows the audience to see events as they unfolded and thus allows them a less biased view.
Very quickly, I became concerned and then outraged with what I was seeing. Of course I’m old enough to remember everything that the documentary addresses but there were so many other things that I never realised. For example, the types of questions Britney was asked in interviews - “are you a virgin?” “What did you do to Justin Timberlake to break his heart?” “Let’s talk about your breasts.”
The way that the press hounded Britney is nothing short of disgraceful and this documentary again raises important questions about the nature of the press and also how women in particular are treated. The issue of her conservatorship is also incredibly concerning and it is clear that there is something that needs to be done about it. Many times throughout this film, Britney’s mental health is spoken about. It is clear that this has been used against her so many times - it’s just heartbreaking.
Overall, though watching this made me feel very sad, I do think that it raises important and topical issues that need addressing. I can say for certain that I support the #freebritney movement.
The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Comments
Post a Comment