Celine Dion is a worldwide cultural phenomenon, who’s been dubbed the Queen of Power Ballads, Priestess of Pop, among others. Even if you’re not a fan of her music, you must’ve lived under a rock if you haven’t heard at least one of her songs, especially the chart-topping My Heart Will Go On from Titanic. I’ve been an admirer of the Canadian singer for a long time. It’s so heartbreaking to hear the news in 2022 that she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder I had never even heard of until then. Stiff-person syndrome is an autoimmune condition that only affects a very small percentage of the population, with just one or two cases per 1 million people.
Admittedly, I’ve never had the privilege of seeing Miss Dion in person or in concert, but she always strikes me as a personable and warmhearted person despite being one of the world’s most accomplished and influential vocalists. Well, this raw and unflinchingly honest documentary confirms my impression, as Dion gave filmmaker Irene Taylor unprecedented access to her life, including her most heartbreaking moments.
Watching this documentary is quite an emotional roller coaster as we see footage of Dion unable to speak or move a muscle while a rescue unit is being called, mixed with dazzling archival footage of the pop star on stage in Las Vegas, donning a glitzy outfit performing one of her famous ballads. Dion seems at home in a huge stadium filled with thousands of her adoring fans who must be missing her terribly these days as she’s unable to perform. Well, the feeling is mutual as Dion didn’t hide the fact that she miss performing and engaging with her fans.
Despite the rather vain-sounding title, I Am is more than a puffed-up, feel-good documentary that idolizes its subject. This film doesn’t just showcase Dion’s glorious moments, it sets itself apart in showing the human side of a celebrated artist. You could hear someone off camera asking Dion if they should stop filming during the intense SPS ‘flare-up.’ I teared up watching her being in so much pain, but also inspired by her strength through such trials. I applaud Dion for allowing viewers to see her darkest moments, especially when she struggled to sing even a note. It might not be a big deal for most people, but it’s got to be so agonizing for someone like Celine whose identity and self-worth are built into her singing ability.
On the flip side, we also get to see the joyful moments of Dion’s life, such as when she was interacting with her twin boys. It’s also fun to see her reminiscing on her touring days, taking the film crew to her warehouse filled with the costumes she wore on stage. These snippets show a woman fully in control of her art, her impeccable showmanship and her passion for music.
The film also shows her sense of humor that remains intact despite her illness. They even showed a clip of her music video for the song Ashes that was featured in Deadpool 2. When asked to ‘phone it in’ and bring the performance level down to 5 or 6, she replied ‘Listen, this thing (points to herself) only goes to 11, so beat it Spider-Man!’ Ha!
Iconic is a word that should be applied sparingly, but it wouldn’t be a hyperbole to call her an iconic superstar. Bravo to Dion and the filmmaking team for raising awareness about SPS. This film makes me appreciate her so much more and hope that she will be back stronger than ever.
P.S. As I’m writing this review, I’m thrilled to hear the news that she will make a comeback by performing at the Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony later this week. Vive La Celine!
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While I was annoyed about hearing “My Heart Will Go On” when Titanic was out, I do like Celine Dion. She doesn’t take herself seriously while also has a great sense of humor. Even when she invited Ana Gasteyer to be Celine at a show at Madison Square Garden. That was hilarious.
I haven’t seen the doc though I give her props for being a dedicated sports fan while I didn’t know she likes pro wrestling. She’s gotta be a fan of the greatest Canadian wrestler ever and he’s among my all-time top 5 favorite wrestlers ever in Bret “the Hitman” Hart who is… The Best There Is, The Best There Was, and The Best There Ever Will Be… and fuck Oldberg.
My Heart Will Go On was overplayed, so it’s not Celine’s fault that it annoyed people. I too think it was too much as the radio played it so often! Yeah Celine is funny and such a good sport! I didn’t know she invited Ana Gasteyer, that’s so cool!
Celine is a pro-wrestling fan? Wow, I did not expect that!
It’s so sad what happened to her. My GF and I were planning to see her show in Vegas, my GF is big fan of hers and so am I! We were heartbroken when the news broke that she had to cancel all of her shows because of that illness. I loved many of her songs in the 90s, especially My Heart Will Go On. I know it’s been fashionable to make fun of that song and the film Titanic since both were so popular. She’s one of the titans of female singers of the 90s.
I do hope she makes a full recovery and be able to perform again. I know she said wants to get back on the stage at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace Las Vegas. I’m sure she’ll have tons of sold out shows when that happens.
Sorry to hear you & your GF didn’t get to see Celine Dion in concert, Ted! I’m sure she too was just as dismayed that she couldn’t perform. You should watch this documentary, she clearly made this for her fans. It’s so heartfelt, heartbreaking but also has a sense of hope. I sure hope she will be back in concerts again, and for sure they will sell out in a matter of minutes. Let’s hope she will indeed perform at Paris Olympics opening ceremony! 🤞🏽
I just read that she’s working out a new deal to perform in Vegas again, this time she’ll be a resident at one of the newer hotels, Resorts World! It’s one of favorite hotels on the Strip, so my GF and I are waiting for when she’ll announce the new dates for her shows in Vegas.
Ooohh I just read about that Resort Hotel residency, apparently she was supposed to do that before she had to cancel because of her SPS condition. I bet that will be a major sell-out concert, good for Celine!!
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Definitely on my must watch list.
Dion is a Canadian treasure, with the voice of 100 angels.
How sad to hear about SPS.
Thank you for this terrific review, Ruth!
Hi Resa!! As a Canadian this is definitely a must-see film, though Dion is an international treasure to be sure. Yeah, SPS sounds utterly painful… but Dion is indomitable, she refuses to be defeated and that is inspiring.
It sounds terrific. I will definitely watch!
Me watching the Paris opening ceremony: Well this couldn’t possibly get any cooler. Celine Dion: “Hold my glass.”
Yeah! Even in the rain, Dion was phenomenal. If anything, the rain actually made her performance even more dramatic, at least for viewers watching on TV, ahah.
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