openingstar
This film is a work of art...about a man who got dealt , in many ways, a lousy hand . Lesser men would have stayed in their room, their neighborhood, and not confronted the pain. Doc was not that man. And from his pain, his longing, his love, he wrote some of the most beautiful songs ever....sang the blues with the heart of someone who has known what it is to be on the outside...and with his love ,caring, compassionate nurturing soul made lifetime and devoted friends of some of the most amazing talents of the day. I have seen this film 5 times. I cannot wait to see it again. Doc had extensive notes, photos, diaries, writings and his daughter, Sharyn Felder saved these and found Peter Miller and team....and the result is a labor of love. Visually and aurally it is MAGIC. the film editing by Amy Linton is beyond masterful . It is so totally involving. Bring some tissues...and an open heart....and go back into the world....grateful for this man, his music, his Spirit....the people who were committed to telling his remarkable story.
ralphhh
This extraordinary film documents the life of one of the greatest songwriters of our age -- who was known and esteemed in the music community, but because he never became a star recording artist was less well known to the world at large. Coming down with polio at age 6, Doc Pomus overcame disability and pain to lead a rich life with many highs and lows, and a huge circle of friends. Through it all, he wrote song after great song, many of which form a soundtrack to our age.The filmmakers have made a coherent and affecting whole out of a vast amount of material, both archival footage and contemporary interviews, all of which give a vivid picture of a vivid personality. It's such a rich film that it repays multiple viewings, and the quantity and amazing quality of the music speaks for itself.I love this movie.
Emmett Pepper
The film is a dazzling explanation of who Doc Pomus became and how much he had to overcome to get there. The amount of hits he wrote and stars who sang them is insanely awesome and you get a real sense of his magnetism and personality.I thought the flow and watch-ability of the film suffered a bit due to trying to jam in *too many* of his songs and collaborators. B.B. King could have just garnered a mention, for instance. Sometimes I felt like, "OK, I get it. He worked with A LOT of awesome people. I was way more impressed when it was Dion and Elvis." I think some of them could have been done with some quick clips to give a flavor for some of the less-important (either to his life/career or to the viewer) figures.All that said, there were several moments in the film with real emotional resonance and I would recommend it to any music lover.
bensonj
I found this film an incredibly rich experience. As a documentary--a document--it's an extremely thorough and detailed examination of Doc Pomus's life and work. Pomus is a fascinating person, a major musical talent of his time, and it's also obvious he changed the lives of many who came in contact with him. A wide range of Pomus's cohorts and family members are interviewed, and the archival footage and recordings are incredible. It's densely packed with strong images, and every one has a reason for being there, furthering the narrative, adding to the mosaic in a meaningful way. But beyond the documenting of Pomus's life, this film stands on its own as a work of art. It flows like music, it has an emotional narrative in addition to the linear one, which isn't forced but is there naturally. As critic Ken Eisner says, "The overall feeling the film leaves you with is joyous, not elegiac." There's no substitute for having the tenacity to collect all the material, taking the time and care to put it all together meaningfully, and then having the talent to make the whole more than the sum of its parts. I can only think of one documentary that compares with this and that's Terry Zwigoff's acclaimed CRUMB. I hope this film gets wide distribution and the recognition it deserves.
AD
