Luther: review is never too much

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Luther: review is never too much

Dawn Porter Luther: It’s never too much is a force to be reckoned with. While it didn’t pioneer the art form of documentaries, it brought me joy and pain, as it probably will for anyone, regardless of their relationship to Luther Vandross. His music, along with Porter’s decision-making, combine for an educational experience that happens to be a fun time.

The choice to focus on Vandross’s early years provides a fascinating deep dive into his time as an unknown musician working with David Bowie and even a Sesame Street set. The end of It’s never too much takes a closer look at the struggles the singer faced and how the media fanned those flames. But Porter’s vision is careful not to sanitize his image; instead, it works to tell the story Vandross would like us to know.

Luther Vandross’ rise is meteoric, although not in the way you might think. Since he was a teenager, he knew he wanted to be a singer and wouldn’t let anyone stop him. He discovered that his voice was undeniable, but America’s sense of physicality still wouldn’t allow a heavier man into its homes. Over the next few years, he would become the number one singer in New York City. With a little push from Roberta Flack, he would finally become a solo artist. The rest is history.


Luther Vandross.2.B&W.Ph Alberto Tolot courtesy of Sony Music

It’s never too much highlights the way the media interacts with Vandross, which is tragic and perhaps even surprising to some. While fans of her music may have made comments about her weight or her sexuality, it was the media that turned it into full-fledged news. As Vandross said, they were disguised as “human interest story,” and reporters always found a way to bring up his personal life to the point where he laughed at the fat jokes and outright told some to “Mind their fucking business”.

The clips Porter chose to edit together are often close-ups that show different sides of the beloved singer.

In one of the most revealing clips, he bought a huge bucket of KFC on stage during a show after Eddie Murphy made a comment about his weight in Crude. Although it appeared he laughed it off, he would later admit that eating was his true coping mechanism and the vicious cycle he was put through by the media only perpetuated it. The ’80s certainly aren’t the height of tabloid gossip, but it’s where the sharks started smelling blood, and artists like Vandross paid the price.

Porter was successful directing 2013 Gideon’s Army and would do it again in 2020 with John Lewis: Good problem. Both films focus on more serious, real-life black issues, but they do so with an energy and movement that the filmmaker perfected in Luther: It’s never too much. The way she captures moments in black history is grand and evocative. The clips Porter chose to edit together are often close-ups that show different sides of the beloved singer.

He often looked like the idol we all remember, but with factors like his weight and the way black artists were lit at the time, he occasionally looked ghoulish with unforgiving makeup. Unfortunately, his weight loss also played a major role in how he was photographed from the neck up.

It’s all in the feeling

Generally speaking, no production element will surprise you Luther: It’s never too much. Historical documentaries and biographical documents, specifically those that rely heavily on interviews with talking heads, are not asking us to invest in any phenomenal elements of filmmaking. These films rely on the fact that you are here because you already care about the issue. Editor Mark Fason givesof Luther: It’s never too much the same energy and enthusiasm as the hit that gives its title its name.

The film is packed with fun facts and celebrity cameos that will surprise many Vandross fans – casual and hardcore alike. Considering his level of fame, it’s strange that we haven’t gotten a definitive biopic or fiction with Vandross at the center, but Porter appears to have made the definitive Luther Vandross documentary and is worth every minute of our time.

Luther: It’s never too much opens in theaters on Friday, November 1st. The film is 101 minutes long and is unrated.

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