disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

AILEY -- A Visually Compelling but Superficial Documentary

7/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Camden Ferrell
Picture
​Alvin Ailey was a choreographer who was a titan in his time. Aside from his work as a dance and activist, he founded the world-class Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Director Jamila Wignot’s new documentary, appropriately titled Ailey, examines his life and career. This film premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary has an interesting visual style and execution, but it can often lack substance especially for those who aren’t knowledgeable about Ailey’s career.
 
Ailey was born in Texas in 1931, and this documentary briefly details his upbringing. Wignot’s storytelling abilities start off very strong. She utilizes archive footage to capture the essence of his rearing despite the absence of actual primary sources from his childhood. What proves to be a skillful and promising start soon diminishes as we explore his career.
 
One of my main qualms with the film is how its meditative nature often substitutes style for substance. We don’t get a coherent progression of his career, and it seems to skip over integral parts of his story. This isn’t inherently a problem, but it’s a problem for viewers like me who are not familiar with Ailey’s work. As much as the slower and more visually driven footage is interesting, it doesn’t have nearly the same effect without a strong narrative underlying the film.
Picture
The talking heads from members of the dance company and those who knew Ailey are decent. They supplement the narrative as well as they can, but it still feels like there’s blanks in the story that could have been fleshed out more. Ailey’s death in 1989 means that he wasn’t able to give any modern interviews for the film, but the archival footage does a sufficient job of conveying his spirit and personality.
 
Despite the odd pacing and narrative shortcomings, the film does occasionally make up for it with strong execution. The archival footage is great, and Wignot has a great eye. There are one or two powerfully edited sequences accompanied by gorgeous music that flourish and elevate the film. Unfortunately, this level of artistry is far from consistent. The documentary has a fascinating and multi-faceted subject and some proven talent executing it, but as a whole, it doesn’t feel as comprehensive or insightful as it could have been.
 
Fans of Ailey’s work may be pleased with Ailey and its meditative artistry, but for those unfamiliar with him, this isn’t the most helpful introduction to his career. The film has all the ingredients for a great documentary, but aside from a select few moments, the potential is left mostly untapped.
 
Ailey will be in theaters in NY on July 23, in LA on July 30, and more theaters nationwide on August 6.
 
Rating: 3/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Dan Skip Allen
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About