independent and unofficial
Prince fan community
Welcome! Sign up or enter username and password to remember me
Forum jump
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Observations from Beyonce’s ‘Life is but a Dream’ HBO Documentary
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Page 1 of 3 123>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
Author

Tweet     Share

Message
Thread started 02/17/13 2:53pm

HAPPYPERSON

Observations from Beyonce’s ‘Life is but a Dream’ HBO Documentary

Beyonce Life is but a Dream HBO TheLavaLizard

Beyonce’s ‘Life is but a Dream’ HBO documentary poster

Oprah spent an entire forty minutes plugging Beyonce’s Life is but a Dream special during her propaganda-packed episode of Oprah’s next Chapter last evening so many of us were curious to see what details from the singer’s secret life the HBO documentary would reveal. Yet, nothing could prepare you for what we learned.

In addition to what we already knew about Beyonce – she has a collection of almost every style of blonde wig on the market and she has more money than most of us will ever see - Life is but a Dream introduced us to the her more vulnerable side. At least, that is what casual viewers and her devoted fans may assume if they didn’t read between the lines.

Luckily for you, I sacrificed eighty five minutes of my life to provide an in-depth analysis of Life is but a Dream. Don’t worry, I had enough sugar and Ruzzle matches to keep me awake so I didn’t miss a thing. Check out my observations from Beyonce’s documentary below:

Beyonce can sing

Let’s start with the obvious: Beyonce is an impressive vocalist. During Life is but a Dream, we got the chance to see Beyonce record several of her songs and backtracks, thus reaffirming the fact the she is a very talented Pop singer. She has a thorough understanding of her range and it is clear that she has taken the time to learn from her biggest influences – Rachelle Ferrell, Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand – as she developed her craft.

Beyonce doesn’t understand the meaning of TMI

Beyonce has always been fiercely protective of her private life because she has set boundaries between the celebrity that we see onstage and the woman behind the scenes. Yet, despite her many reservations, she awkwardly shared far too much in Life is but a Dream as she boasted that she was ready to make love to her husband, Jay-Z. That certainly wasn’t the visual that we needed on a late Saturday night.

Beyonce films everything

Still, if Beyonce is so private then why does she feel the need to film everything? Yes, we understand that video diaries are often therapeutic but those tapes lose their value after being posted publicly for the millions of viewers to see. Seriously, it appeared as though Beyonce recorded the footage for the sole purpose of making this show.

Beyonce really wants us to be believe that she was pregnant

Many people doubted that Beyonce was actually pregnant in 2011, especially after her stomach deflated like an old butt pad during one of her interviews. So, Beyonce used Life is but a Dream to repeatedly remind us that she did carry her baby to term instead of using a surrogate.

Oddly, however, although she made it a point to film every aspect of her life, we never got the chance to see her stomach beyond the end of her first trimester. Did her camera conveniently run out of charge or was it that faking a baby bump became simply too difficult as the months progressed?

Beyonce fake pregnant TheLavaLizard

Beyonce’s belly transforms

Beyonce has been taking acting classes

Beyonce has always been a terrible actress (see: Obsessed) but she has been trying her best to improve. Indeed, Life is but a Dream presented us with a woman who could cry on cue, deliver a dramatic monologue and perform a distant blank stare without erupting into laughter. She still isn’t Oscar-worthy but at least she carry a scene on her own.

Beyonce wants us to believe she writes her songs

Following Beyonce’s miscarriage, Beyonce retreated to the studio to write an emotional ballad about her loss. That’s right, she expects us to believe that the person who can’t even finish a proper sentence or use a broader vocabulary than the words ‘inspired’ or ‘empowered’ has the ability to string such brilliant metaphors into such a moving piece. Whatever you say, Beyonce.

Beyonce isn’t original

When Beyonce can’t steal artists ideas and imitate their their work by watching the footage on YouTube, she is forced to ask them directly for advice. That is exactly what happened with her “Run the World (Girls)” video for which she and her creative director, Frank Gatson, hired a pair of dancers of Mozambique to teach her the routine after she failed to copy the moves on her own. I hope Beyonce paid them more than minimum wage.

Beyonce’s music doesn’t reflect her life

Beyonce has experienced so many struggles in her life – tension with her father and the breakup of Destiny’s Child – yet she still can’t create better music than childish uptempos and shallow ballads. Wait, what am I saying? She wrote that song about her miscarriage!

Beyonce doesn’t care about her fans

For the entire duration of Life is but a Dream, Beyonce spoke about her pregnancy, her work-related feud with her father and her love for Jay-Z yet she never mentioned the people who gave her the life that she enjoys – her fans. They spend hours hounding people on the internet in defence of their beloved “queen” yet she didn’t even spare a moment to acknowledge them them for their devotion. Hey, worker bees are their to serve the queen, not the other way around.

Praise me, minions!

Beyonce is a hard worker

Regardless of what we think of Beyonce, there is no denying that she is a hard worker. She has devoted herself completely to her craft and pushes herself to achieve greatness, no matter the cost. There aren’t many artists who would rehearse in the hallways of a hotel the night before a performance and that demands respect.

Now that you have read my review of Life is but a Dream, watch the show and share your own view below:

http://thelavalizard.com/...m=facebook

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #1 posted 02/17/13 3:47pm

cbarnes3121

i try so hard 2 like this woman but i keep coming up with froans and ughh moments. i agree with wendy williams she is very uneducated when she speaks. with all that money why not go back to school and further your knowledge so u can teach your daughter how to really feel empowered.i think she dopped out of high school and her songs still reflect a girl in a high school state of mind

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #2 posted 02/17/13 3:57pm

debbiedean2

avatar

I watched the documentary last night, is she (A)- extremely naive or (B)- think that the entire world is stuck on stupid! She starts the doc talking about how she has grown because Jay-Z taught her sooo much about the business and no longer need her father as her manager. Did she forget that

Pops had a baby that's a few months older than Blue Ivy and was still married to Tina and she dropped his ass like a hot potato once that shit hit the fan??? faint I tried to give dingle-berry a chance but DAMN!!! And don't get me started on her pregnancy...OK i'm starting lol. Let it be known that if she had a surrogate I'm cool with that, but don't try to convince the world that you carried the baby when you only show a silhouette of your belly in your last trimester. Folks are ripping her a new asshole for that. She opened a Sam's Club can of worms with that. razz

I'M NOT SHOUTING, JEEZ!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #3 posted 02/17/13 4:15pm

Gunsnhalen

Oprah was raving on CNN how this is a game changer lol

Pistols sounded like "Fuck off," wheras The Clash sounded like "Fuck Off, but here's why.."- Thedigitialgardener

All music is shit music and no music is real- gunsnhalen

Datdonkeydick- Asherfierce

Gary Hunts Album Isn't That Good- Soulalive
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #4 posted 02/17/13 4:35pm

Terrib3Towel

avatar

I don't get HBO at school, but I would not have watched anyway.

Bey has a couple songs I like, that's where it stops for me.

However, Bey is the type of celebrity people love to hate for whatever reason.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #5 posted 02/17/13 4:41pm

SoulAlive

another vanity project from a celebrity who thinks she is more interesting than she really is bored I'm surprised that she didn't try to get this documentary into movie theatres.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #6 posted 02/17/13 5:04pm

lowkey

listening to her trying to explain the experience of childbirth was painful.as a mother (twice)i wanted to tell her to stfu with that bullshit. also if she was so devastated by her miscarriage and so scared and paranoid during her pregnancy with blue, why the hell would she continue to coochie pop like a mad woman on stage? she claim the dr. told her it was ok (bullshit), but lets say there is a dr. who told her its ok to physically push herself like that while pregnant, what scared paranoid woman who suffered a devastating miscarriage would do that? then she brings up the rumors about using a surrogate and im thinking she gonna show let us see her laying on the bed having a ultra sound or some shit, this chick has a naked woman hiding in the shadows with a belly poking out, the shadow's belly was bigger then beyonce's when she was suppose to be in the delivery room.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #7 posted 02/17/13 5:12pm

debbiedean2

avatar

lowkey said:

listening to her trying to explain the experience of childbirth was painful.as a mother (twice)i wanted to tell her to stfu with that bullshit. also if she was so devastated by her miscarriage and so scared and paranoid during her pregnancy with blue, why the hell would she continue to coochie pop like a mad woman on stage? she claim the dr. told her it was ok (bullshit), but lets say there is a dr. who told her its ok to physically push herself like that while pregnant, what scared paranoid woman who suffered a devastating miscarriage would do that? then she brings up the rumors about using a surrogate and im thinking she gonna show let us see her laying on the bed having a ultra sound or some shit, this chick has a naked woman hiding in the shadows with a belly poking out, the shadow's belly was bigger then beyonce's when she was suppose to be in the delivery room.

NOOOOOOOO, the killer was when she said she gained 57 pounds!!!!!!

GURL, BYE!

I'M NOT SHOUTING, JEEZ!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #8 posted 02/17/13 5:15pm

missfee

avatar

I'd say that the review posted by the OP is pretty much accurate. lol

I love a good documentary, which is why I watched, even though I'm not a fan of hers, though, I do like a handful of her songs.

Overall, I think the documentary just showcased how confident she is in herself in the music business. Nothing wrong with being confident, we all should be in our careers, but normally, real documentaries show the human side of things, this means, not only the confident side, but the imperfect side as well. No doubt, homegirl is talented and beautiful and has a husband who loves her, but isn't this something we already know? Aren't documentaries supposed to give us the "real" you? Flaws and all? Well, that is what was clearly missing. It's crystal clear that homegirl carefully and STRATEGICALLY showcased what she wanted us (the public) to know about her...but the perception is the same....successful pop princess with a great family and the perfect, dreamlike marriage, with her rapper husband. neutral

[Edited 2/17/13 17:22pm]

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #9 posted 02/17/13 5:17pm

NaughtyKitty

avatar

‘Beyoncé’: In search of charisma

I watched “Beyoncé: Life Is But a Dream” hoping that the HBO documentary, executive produced and codirected by Beyoncé Knowles, would help me feel her brilliance and her relevance. I’ve just never quite understood Beyoncé fever. She is lovely, obviously, and she presents one of the sweetest — and not fake sweet — personalities in pop culture. She can also sing up a storm, with a shrieky bellow that’s not for everyone — and not for me — but that is instantly recognizable.

But does Beyoncé have a charisma, a raw magnetism, that I’ve been missing all along, the kind of ineffable quality that is the difference between a hyped chart-topper and a cultural lightning rod? I haven’t been able to find any depth in Beyoncé’s voice or in her persona, and I haven’t detected anything groundbreaking in her songs or in her dance moves, flawlessly executed as they are.

After her recent Super Bowl performance, Gawker declared that “Beyoncé Knowles Is the King of Pop,” with gushy morning-after glee and without irony. Really? I’ve never been able to make that leap, of seeing Beyoncé not as just a radio and awards-show regular but as some kind of trailblazing icon in the vein of Michael Jackson.

Beyoncé has generally seemed to me to be a very hard worker, and a perfectionist, who, with a lot of sleek costuming, expert choreography, and exciting lighting can put on a flashy stage event. I’ve admired her quality control, clearly the result of years — maybe even a lifetime — of caution and focus. But there has been nothing I’ve seen that ranks her with, say, Whitney Houston, or even Adele, never mind Michael Jackson; she strikes me more as a well-packaged pop phenomenon who, through grit and effort and a high-profile marriage to Jay-Z, has triumphed where the likes of Britney Spears have lost their way.

The documentary, which premieres Saturday night at 9, did not bring me there. It’s an oddly unnecessary piece of work, a vanity production from top to bottom with very little that feels genuinely candid. It’s heavily self-promotional, with clips of eye-popping stage performances and light shows to call attention to Beyoncé’s stagecraft. It’s grandiose, with sequences of fan obsession to remind us of Beyoncé’s popularity. And it’s falsely modest and braggy. “This baby has made me love him more than I ever thought I could love another human being,” she says about her marriage to Jay-Z, while we see the two singing along with Coldplay’s “Yellow” in a restaurant.

Her voice-overs and interviews are filled with the kind of famous-person pabulum that comes off as disingenuous. “People see celebrities and they seem like their life is great and they have money and fame and fans and its almost like you can’t touch them,” Beyoncé says at one point in a voice-over, as we see fans race at her limousine. “But I’m a human being, I cry, I’m extremely sensitive, and my feelings get hurt and I get scared and I get nervous just like everyone else.” Really, comments about being in the public eye don’t get much staler and flatter than that.

Like reality shows built around famous people, “Beyoncé” strains to add a touch of drama to all the pedestal polishing. We see her video blog entries when she is exhausted, or when she is stressed about ending her work relationship with her father, who, she says, withheld his approval to make her work harder. “I feel like my soul has been tarnished,” she says about their relationship. We hear briefly about her miscarriage. But there’s nothing here that fills out her back story or adds poignancy to her endless successes. None of these serious moments carry through the movie, either, although Beyoncé does indicate toward the end that she forgives her father now that she understands what being a parent is about. It feels as though she’s unwilling to let anything “controversial” linger in the air. About having a baby, she says, against tinkling piano, “I felt like God was giving me a chance to assist in a miracle.”

Some of the attempts at drama revolve around her preparations for the Billboard Awards and the MTV Awards. Her people rush around the rehearsals with self-important swagger, as if they’re staging a United Nations event where world peace is at stake. She worries about how to combine her pregnancy with her performances. And yet, thanks to some odd timing by HBO, “Beyoncé” doesn’t feature the Inauguration or the Super Bowl, which have to be bigger landmarks in her career than some random awards show.

Ultimately, the movie is an ad for greatness, rather than an extension of it.

BEYONCÉ: LIFE IS BUT A DREAM

EDIT: A couple other reviews:

Beyonce: Life Is But a Dream: TV Review

[Edited 2/17/13 17:23pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #10 posted 02/17/13 5:18pm

missfee

avatar

lowkey said:

listening to her trying to explain the experience of childbirth was painful.as a mother (twice)i wanted to tell her to stfu with that bullshit. also if she was so devastated by her miscarriage and so scared and paranoid during her pregnancy with blue, why the hell would she continue to coochie pop like a mad woman on stage? she claim the dr. told her it was ok (bullshit), but lets say there is a dr. who told her its ok to physically push herself like that while pregnant, what scared paranoid woman who suffered a devastating miscarriage would do that? then she brings up the rumors about using a surrogate and im thinking she gonna show let us see her laying on the bed having a ultra sound or some shit, this chick has a naked woman hiding in the shadows with a belly poking out, the shadow's belly was bigger then beyonce's when she was suppose to be in the delivery room.

Right! I didn't get that either.

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #11 posted 02/17/13 6:01pm

mjscarousal

Dont you guys get tired of talking about Beyonce??? lol I mean GOT DAYUM whofarted

Its safe to say, EVERYTHING Beyonce related you can rest assure PRINCE.ORG will have a thread on it. I will admit that its kinda sad that there are more threads on her than PRINCE HIMSELF eek

Its funny how we talk about how certain artists should get more credit BUT then yall turn around and make a bunch of threads on bullshit artists or topics that have nothing to do with music. I just find that odd. If you want to see a change than BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE. Stop feeding into the bullshit and lets have some real music discussions. Stop making a bunch of threads on artists that you dont like or that you know nobody likes HERE neutral

SoulAlive said:

another vanity project from a celebrity who thinks she is more interesting than she really is bored I'm surprised that she didn't try to get this documentary into movie theatres.

Pretty much. There is no need for a bunch of essays to express this. You know how the girl is already so why is everybody surprised? shrug

And WHY is this thread in this section when it has NOTHING TO DO WITH MUSIC as well as the Mary J thread?

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #12 posted 02/17/13 6:28pm

jeidee

I saw a poster for this special at a subway station and the title made me laugh out loud.

Row row row your boat?

If I was Jigga I'd keep her uneducated and ride it out. She is beautiful.

I agree with the other poster, I want to like her but she makes it difficult because it is all surface.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #13 posted 02/17/13 6:54pm

SynthiaRose

I watched the OPrah interview, which included clips of the documentary, and I found it hard to get through. I didn't even dare try to listen to Beyonce for a 90 minutes doc.

It seems so difficult for her to get ordinatry thoughts out. -- and she has no personal connection with the interviewer when she speaks, staring off into space, struggling to connect words and formulate sentences. I was exhausted listening. Why can't she just have a smooth, fun, coordinated exchange?

Plus, once she puts her thoughts together -- if she finishes them coherently at all -- , she acts like they are the best things ever said, acting as if ordinary reflections are big revelations. And Oprah encouraged her delusions, exaggerating the profundity of Beyonce's very basic utterances, praising them as "deep" and life-changing. mad

There's no way I'm watching the full doc. I found the clips shown and found online to be utterly boring and lacking any moving disclosure or worthwhile glimpses into a creative life. I did enjoy seeing pics of Blue Ivy who is a cutie.

Beyonce is beautiful and is a dancing powerhouse, but that's all I have to say. Not that interesting as a persona at the center of documentaries.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #14 posted 02/17/13 7:24pm

nammie

avatar

I'm not a Bey hater at the same time I do get annoyed at all the gushing about her the same way I was tired of all the JLo gushing during her time, and Gaga etc so it's not personal. And this is only because there are others who deserve shine who have more talent; but hey this is Pop music we're talking about and it been this way for decades. So I limit my exosure to her thus allowing me to appreciate some of her music without being force-fed. This works for me.

I'm happy for all the Bey stans, I know if this were a Prince special/doc whatever, with an interview with Oprah I would be in hog heaven just to see him and would careless about the content -- well wishing for more but happy with whatever I get.

Having said all that, as a casual listener to her music at best, my opinion of this HBO special, (sorry I cannot call it a documentary), was this is something that could have been in the "extras" list on one of her concert DVD's.

The presumption that the viewing audience would know what the hell she was talking about in her confessional about her issues with her dad told it all about her mind set. It was check out time for me from there but I tried to keep an open mind and I kept watching. I could go on and explain more of my thoughts about her dad issues but she didn't so why should I LOL.

The other weird thing for me was when she decided to share her loving relationship with her nephew by taking him and "his dad" on a trip to Paris-- she emphasized the dad thing twice if I remember correctly. This was a weird moment because it left me with more questions than answers. So much more could have been expressed here.

The rest felt like a FUSE Beyonce video takeover day, we were not introduced to her dancers, staff, or crew who work tireless to make the magic happen -- no wait -- she did give us the first name of her security guard LOL.

Oprah didn't help her cause at all, the uber-hype she did prior to her interview was utter BS making me feel she getting a cut of the money on the project lol. And the wack/weak questions she asked B during the interview should have given me a warning to the Special's content.

This is clearly a woman who "runs her world", a hard worker, and is a perfectionist as a performer, and I cannot hate on that. Oh and I learned she likes Sade, The Cardigans, Coldplay, and doesn't know the words to Heart And Soul.

I don't get why HBO is showing it on two channels for 24 hours but please believe she'll get an Emmy for it.

[Edited 2/17/13 19:37pm]

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #15 posted 02/17/13 9:02pm

purplethunder3
121

avatar

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." --Plato

https://youtu.be/CVwv9LZMah0
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #16 posted 02/17/13 10:24pm

kimberly1

purplethunder3121 said:

Hilarious!

falloff

ThankUPrince!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #17 posted 02/17/13 10:34pm

kimberly1

SynthiaRose said:

I watched the OPrah interview, which included clips of the documentary, and I found it hard to get through. I didn't even dare try to listen to Beyonce for a 90 minutes doc.

It seems so difficult for her to get ordinatry thoughts out. -- and she has no personal connection with the interviewer when she speaks, staring off into space, struggling to connect words and formulate sentences. I was exhausted listening. Why can't she just have a smooth, fun, coordinated exchange?

Plus, once she puts her thoughts together -- if she finishes them coherently at all -- , she acts like they are the best things ever said, acting as if ordinary reflections are big revelations. And Oprah encouraged her delusions, exaggerating the profundity of Beyonce's very basic utterances, praising them as "deep" and life-changing. mad

There's no way I'm watching the full doc. I found the clips shown and found online to be utterly boring and lacking any moving disclosure or worthwhile glimpses into a creative life. I did enjoy seeing pics of Blue Ivy who is a cutie.

Beyonce is beautiful and is a dancing powerhouse, but that's all I have to say. Not that interesting as a persona at the center of documentaries.

Completely agree with you! Not trying to criticize but she does need a public speaking and an effective communication course. She CAN sing but she does not come across as intelligent. Blue Ivy is a cutie!

Oprah is just dying for ratings and kissing ass in the process. Funny thing is both Oprah and Beyonce need to take their Billions/Millions and go somewhere and sit down for a while and enjoy life.

ThankUPrince!
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #18 posted 02/18/13 3:23am

OfftheWall

avatar

From what I've seen of the documentary she seems very likeable.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #19 posted 02/18/13 4:04am

xperience319

avatar

are we really supposed to beleive this grainy footage?? ands why the hell is it grainy in the first place?



RIP 1958-2016 Prince broken RIP 1947-2016 David Bowie

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #20 posted 02/18/13 6:35am

Musicslave

I hope she nor her team thought that this special was going to satisfy her critics that she was so concerned about answering. Sounds to me that she only opened herself to more scrutiny. But I guess they figured the overall attention would be a bigger payoff considering her new record she's dropping.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #21 posted 02/18/13 6:53am

TonyVanDam

avatar

debbiedean2 said:

I watched the documentary last night, is she (A)- extremely naive or (B)- think that the entire world is stuck on stupid! She starts the doc talking about how she has grown because Jay-Z taught her sooo much about the business and no longer need her father as her manager. Did she forget that

Pops had a baby that's a few months older than Blue Ivy and was still married to Tina and she dropped his ass like a hot potato once that shit hit the fan??? faint I tried to give dingle-berry a chance but DAMN!!! And don't get me started on her pregnancy...OK i'm starting lol. Let it be known that if she had a surrogate I'm cool with that, but don't try to convince the world that you carried the baby when you only show a silhouette of your belly in your last trimester. Folks are ripping her a new asshole for that. She opened a Sam's Club can of worms with that. razz

I didn't and still have no need to see the documentary to know the obvious fact that Beyonce is definitely NOT academically bright. That tour gulde at the Egyptian pyramids confirm this ugly truth about the poor woman-child a few years ago. neutral

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #22 posted 02/18/13 7:28am

NaughtyKitty

avatar

Musicslave said:

I hope she nor her team thought that this special was going to satisfy her critics that she was so concerned about answering. Sounds to me that she only opened herself to more scrutiny. But I guess they figured the overall attention would be a bigger payoff considering her new record she's dropping.

yeahthat

Did Beyonce reveal enough in HBO show?

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY9:33a.m. EST February 18, 2013

The superstar's intimate special aired Saturday and critics are attacking her for controlling every image of her show.

Beyoncé's intimate documentary about herself, Life Is But a Dream, debuted on HBO Saturday night. (And on Sunday, she and Jay-Z were spotted courtside in Houston at the NBA All-Star Game.)

The show gave us our first good look at baby Blue Ivy (who is not a baby anymore!), and showed the singer candidly talking to cameras, to her laptop, to her husband, Jay-Z, and included the news that she had a miscarriage before her child was born.

But for all the special did reveal, the reviews are in, and many are grumbling that Beyoncé didn't reveal enough. Here are some:

The Hollywood Reporter: "A film that sells itself as a candid self-portrait ends up revealing not much at all." And, "This is less a documentary portrait than a micromanaged video diary exploring the R&B superstar's relationship with her laptop."

Entertainment Weekly: "On one hand, the movie could be exactly what it says it is: a verité video-quilt stitched from snippets of the private life of America's current First Performer. ... Or you could take the cynic's view say that the whole thing is a sham, just a televised press release designed to provide the same kind of rigidly distanced intimacy that we get from the snapshots on Beyoncé's immaculately curated Instagram feed."

The New York Times: "Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream is as contrived as Madonna: Truth or Dare, but probably for good reason it is neither daring nor entirely truthful. It's an infomercial, not just about Beyoncé's talent onstage but her authenticity behind the scenes."

The Washington Post: "Life Is but a Dream has no through-line, no linear narrative. It's more like a hallucinatory advertisement for success, and to her credit Beyoncé put the word 'dream' in the title. The theme is celebrity ennui alternating with spiritual and emotional fulfillment. Which isn't much of a theme."

Zap2It.com: "Pop mega-star Beyoncé Knowles' hypothetically intimate 'documentary'Life Is a But a Dream is equal parts vanity project and calculated act of image control. The only thing revealed by the film — co-directed, co-written and co-executive produced by Beyoncé herself — is a narcissistic inability to give up that desire for control."

Newsday: "The best moments of Life Is But a Dream are the truly unscripted ones, like when Jay-Z croons Coldplay's Yellow to her or an old clip of her and the rest of Destiny's Child bouncing around the kitchen singing The Cardigans' Lovefool. That's when Beyoncé seems most like an ordinary person with extraordinary talents — the one who's far more likable than the seemingly calculated Dream one."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/02/18/did-beyonce-reveal-enough-in-hbo-show/1927503/

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #23 posted 02/18/13 7:41am

Musicslave

NaughtyKitty said:

Musicslave said:

I hope she nor her team thought that this special was going to satisfy her critics that she was so concerned about answering. Sounds to me that she only opened herself to more scrutiny. But I guess they figured the overall attention would be a bigger payoff considering her new record she's dropping.

yeahthat

Did Beyonce reveal enough in HBO show?

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY9:33a.m. EST February 18, 2013

The superstar's intimate special aired Saturday and critics are attacking her for controlling every image of her show.

Beyoncé's intimate documentary about herself, Life Is But a Dream, debuted on HBO Saturday night. (And on Sunday, she and Jay-Z were spotted courtside in Houston at the NBA All-Star Game.)

The show gave us our first good look at baby Blue Ivy (who is not a baby anymore!), and showed the singer candidly talking to cameras, to her laptop, to her husband, Jay-Z, and included the news that she had a miscarriage before her child was born.

But for all the special did reveal, the reviews are in, and many are grumbling that Beyoncé didn't reveal enough. Here are some:

The Hollywood Reporter: "A film that sells itself as a candid self-portrait ends up revealing not much at all." And, "This is less a documentary portrait than a micromanaged video diary exploring the R&B superstar's relationship with her laptop."

Entertainment Weekly: "On one hand, the movie could be exactly what it says it is: a verité video-quilt stitched from snippets of the private life of America's current First Performer. ... Or you could take the cynic's view say that the whole thing is a sham, just a televised press release designed to provide the same kind of rigidly distanced intimacy that we get from the snapshots on Beyoncé's immaculately curated Instagram feed."

The New York Times: "Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream is as contrived as Madonna: Truth or Dare, but probably for good reason it is neither daring nor entirely truthful. It's an infomercial, not just about Beyoncé's talent onstage but her authenticity behind the scenes."

The Washington Post: "Life Is but a Dream has no through-line, no linear narrative. It's more like a hallucinatory advertisement for success, and to her credit Beyoncé put the word 'dream' in the title. The theme is celebrity ennui alternating with spiritual and emotional fulfillment. Which isn't much of a theme."

Zap2It.com: "Pop mega-star Beyoncé Knowles' hypothetically intimate 'documentary'Life Is a But a Dream is equal parts vanity project and calculated act of image control. The only thing revealed by the film — co-directed, co-written and co-executive produced by Beyoncé herself — is a narcissistic inability to give up that desire for control."

Newsday: "The best moments of Life Is But a Dream are the truly unscripted ones, like when Jay-Z croons Coldplay's Yellow to her or an old clip of her and the rest of Destiny's Child bouncing around the kitchen singing The Cardigans' Lovefool. That's when Beyoncé seems most like an ordinary person with extraordinary talents — the one who's far more likable than the seemingly calculated Dream one."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/02/18/did-beyonce-reveal-enough-in-hbo-show/1927503/

I don't know what the heck everyone expected. I mean, it is "a film BY Beyonce Knowles". lol lol lol

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #24 posted 02/18/13 9:45am

missfee

avatar

NaughtyKitty said:

Musicslave said:

I hope she nor her team thought that this special was going to satisfy her critics that she was so concerned about answering. Sounds to me that she only opened herself to more scrutiny. But I guess they figured the overall attention would be a bigger payoff considering her new record she's dropping.

yeahthat

Did Beyonce reveal enough in HBO show?

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY9:33a.m. EST February 18, 2013

The superstar's intimate special aired Saturday and critics are attacking her for controlling every image of her show.

The New York Times: "Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream is as contrived as Madonna: Truth or Dare, but probably for good reason it is neither daring nor entirely truthful. It's an infomercial, not just about Beyoncé's talent onstage but her authenticity behind the scenes."

Funny they mentioned Madonna's "Truth or Dare" movie...sorry but I thoroughly enjoyed Truth or Dare and can watch it over and over again. I remember after watching it for the first time, it made me want to buy tickets to her concert.

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #25 posted 02/18/13 4:40pm

NaughtyKitty

avatar

missfee said:

NaughtyKitty said:

yeahthat

Did Beyonce reveal enough in HBO show?

Ann Oldenburg, USA TODAY9:33a.m. EST February 18, 2013

The superstar's intimate special aired Saturday and critics are attacking her for controlling every image of her show.

The New York Times: "Beyoncé: Life Is but a Dream is as contrived as Madonna: Truth or Dare, but probably for good reason it is neither daring nor entirely truthful. It's an infomercial, not just about Beyoncé's talent onstage but her authenticity behind the scenes."

Funny they mentioned Madonna's "Truth or Dare" movie...sorry but I thoroughly enjoyed Truth or Dare and can watch it over and over again. I remember after watching it for the first time, it made me want to buy tickets to her concert.

I love Madge's Truth or Dare movie, now that's a great example on how a popular singer should do a documentary. Here's another review that compares Truth or Dare to Life is But a dream, and I agree with their comparison which I think is much better than the New York Times one.

Beyonce: Life Is But A Dream

The night after the Super Bowl I had dinner with my 65-year-old father and an old friend of his. We recapped the event, and while the two men had different opinions on the game and the commercials, they agreed on one thing: they do not get what the big deal is with Beyoncé.

Life Is But A Dream, HBO’s documentary about and largely by Beyoncé is not likely to change these old white guys' minds. It’s not a film (I use that term loosely) for those who haven’t yet realized that it’s Beyoncé’s world and we’re just living in it. It’s not even for the casual fan like me who finds Queen Bey attractive and entertaining and all but has not come anywhere close to using the word “flawless” when describing her. It’s for the true beylievers, for only Beyoncé’s biggest fans could look beyond the amount of superficiality and narcissism in the doc (which could stand to be a half-hour shorter, but again, this wasn’t made for people who would think there is such a thing as too much Beyoncé).

Skipping right past any sort of back-story as basic as where she was born or barely more than a half-mention of a little group called Destiny’s Child, LIBAD focuses, loosely, on the period from when its subject discovers she is pregnant up until roughly the present. However, the doc’s main theme is Beyoncé giving herself permission to be real and to be imperfect, both of which ring a little bit false as she looks flawless (oops) when videotaping and interviewing herself (which she does constantly) or when she lets a guy pretend to interview her. At times, the look we see when Beyoncé is beaming into her Mac’s camera reminded me of the look my infant son gives at himself in the mirror: complete delight and fascination.

The project made me think of Madonna’s Truth Or Dare, thanks to similarities like the backstage and rehearsal footage, the cheering throngs outside the hotel rooms and the cozy glamor of bathrobes and towels. But in Truth Or Dare, we saw Madonna be an asshole and yet truly vulnerable as she mocked Kevin Costner, talked about her relationship with Sean Penn and experienced tension with her father. While we see maybe one or two scenes where she’s a bit irritated with her stage personnel, when Beyoncé discusses some personal affairs (which I’ll get to shortly), they’re carefully-measured bits of information she has revealed with a lot of thought, not anything that was caught on-camera.

But it’s probably too much to ask for dirt and fireworks and realness from Beyoncé. There are a few scenes in LIBAD that feel seriously phony as opposed to calculated and polished: After she talks about the importance of the women in her life, as opposed to actually seeing anything from her mother Tina or her sister Solange or her former bandmembers, we instead see her bopping around singing to “Love Fool” with her friends, which seems like a girl doing an impression of what she thinks human girls do at sleepovers.

That said, I don’t think Knowles is actually a bad egg. While she comes across as narcissistic, she’s in the business of narcissism. She has to look attractive (L’Oreal doesn’t pay people to be nice), she has to feed her fans, and she has to work and stay current. When compared to other megastars, especially ones who started out so young like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, she shouldn’t be faulted for coming across a bit bland and banal, as opposed to paranoid and severely damaged.

While remaining, as usual, mostly tight-lipped about the nature of her relationship with Jay-Z, Beyoncé addresses a few personal topics within the doc. At the beginning, she discusses breaking away from her father, Matthew Knowles, as her manager, but this is largely unrevealing aside from the fact that she admits that he withheld approval from her, which contributed to her ambition. Later, she discusses a miscarriage she suffered prior to her public pregnancy.

The story itself is of course sad, but she delivers it reality TV confession-room style to her laptop the way she does so many of her self-interviews. However, we experience true vulnerability and sadness as we hear lyrics to an as-yet unreleased song about the event: “I guess love just wasn’t enough for us to survive,” “You took the life right out of me,” “I’m longing for your heartbeat.” These lyrics could be about a bad breakup but knowing what they’re about is tender and heartbreaking, not to mention an impressive show of personal songwriting.

And, of course, there’s Blue Ivy herself, whom we see briefly in the flesh (she looks just like her daddy, as do most babies) and in gestation as Beyoncé prepares for the Billboard Awards, a filmed concert and the MTV Music Awards. The concert footage, visually, is the best part of the film by far (unless you count the envy-stirring vacation footage. Spoiler alert: Jay-Z is a fan of lens flare.) Crisp, sparkling and vibrant, I wouldn’t have minded more behind the scenes stuff, like how we see the impressive graphics a...e together.

I find it no easier to summon strong feelings for Beyoncé after LIBAD than I could before it. The woman is easy on the eyes, she works hard, she’s talented, and she doesn’t seem to be Hitler-esque in any particular way, but she’s still a bit of a beautiful cipher with a mostly-beautiful life. But hey, if I were making a documentary about myself? I might try, despite my best efforts, to make myself look pretty good too.

Stray observations:

  • If you wanted to see footage of Beyoncé and Jay singing along to “Yellow” by Coldplay while on a yacht, this is the film for you.
  • Also, did you miss Lady Gaga’s terribly unpopular boy character? Because he pops up in here more times than you would expect.
  • There is one moment where Beyoncé hilariously lacks perspective where she complains that this current generation is too obsessed with image and superficiality, when this is a documentary that she made largely taken with footage that she recorded of herself and PS she also records her entire life all the time and keeps all the footage.

  • Beyoncé on feminism: “It’s not about equal rights; it’s about how we think.” Ironically, I am still thinking that one over.
  • I can’t believe Beyoncé’s publicist tried to take down those photos of her weird singing faces at the Super Bowl when Beyoncé’s weird singing faces are the best part of her performances, and she clearly makes them on purpose.
  • Here are two jokes my husband made about Beyoncé tonight: “All the Pringle Ladies” will be her chip tie-in song, and when she goes on vacation to the Alps, she’s Ski-once.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/beyonce-life-is-but-a-dream,92617/

I don't know what the heck everyone expected. I mean, it is "a film BY Beyonce Knowles". lol lol lol

Ikr? lol

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #26 posted 02/18/13 7:47pm

lastdecember

avatar

HAPPYPERSON said:

Beyonce Life is but a Dream HBO TheLavaLizard

Beyonce’s ‘Life is but a Dream’ HBO documentary poster

Oprah spent an entire forty minutes plugging Beyonce’s Life is but a Dream special during her propaganda-packed episode of Oprah’s next Chapter last evening so many of us were curious to see what details from the singer’s secret life the HBO documentary would reveal. Yet, nothing could prepare you for what we learned.

In addition to what we already knew about Beyonce – she has a collection of almost every style of blonde wig on the market and she has more money than most of us will ever see - Life is but a Dream introduced us to the her more vulnerable side. At least, that is what casual viewers and her devoted fans may assume if they didn’t read between the lines.

Luckily for you, I sacrificed eighty five minutes of my life to provide an in-depth analysis of Life is but a Dream. Don’t worry, I had enough sugar and Ruzzle matches to keep me awake so I didn’t miss a thing. Check out my observations from Beyonce’s documentary below:

Beyonce can sing

Let’s start with the obvious: Beyonce is an impressive vocalist. During Life is but a Dream, we got the chance to see Beyonce record several of her songs and backtracks, thus reaffirming the fact the she is a very talented Pop singer. She has a thorough understanding of her range and it is clear that she has taken the time to learn from her biggest influences – Rachelle Ferrell, Mariah Carey and Barbra Streisand – as she developed her craft.

Beyonce doesn’t understand the meaning of TMI

Beyonce has always been fiercely protective of her private life because she has set boundaries between the celebrity that we see onstage and the woman behind the scenes. Yet, despite her many reservations, she awkwardly shared far too much in Life is but a Dream as she boasted that she was ready to make love to her husband, Jay-Z. That certainly wasn’t the visual that we needed on a late Saturday night.

Beyonce films everything

Still, if Beyonce is so private then why does she feel the need to film everything? Yes, we understand that video diaries are often therapeutic but those tapes lose their value after being posted publicly for the millions of viewers to see. Seriously, it appeared as though Beyonce recorded the footage for the sole purpose of making this show.

Beyonce really wants us to be believe that she was pregnant

Many people doubted that Beyonce was actually pregnant in 2011, especially after her stomach deflated like an old butt pad during one of her interviews. So, Beyonce used Life is but a Dream to repeatedly remind us that she did carry her baby to term instead of using a surrogate.

Oddly, however, although she made it a point to film every aspect of her life, we never got the chance to see her stomach beyond the end of her first trimester. Did her camera conveniently run out of charge or was it that faking a baby bump became simply too difficult as the months progressed?

Beyonce fake pregnant TheLavaLizard

Beyonce’s belly transforms

Beyonce has been taking acting classes

Beyonce has always been a terrible actress (see: Obsessed) but she has been trying her best to improve. Indeed, Life is but a Dream presented us with a woman who could cry on cue, deliver a dramatic monologue and perform a distant blank stare without erupting into laughter. She still isn’t Oscar-worthy but at least she carry a scene on her own.

Beyonce wants us to believe she writes her songs

Following Beyonce’s miscarriage, Beyonce retreated to the studio to write an emotional ballad about her loss. That’s right, she expects us to believe that the person who can’t even finish a proper sentence or use a broader vocabulary than the words ‘inspired’ or ‘empowered’ has the ability to string such brilliant metaphors into such a moving piece. Whatever you say, Beyonce.

Beyonce isn’t original

When Beyonce can’t steal artists ideas and imitate their their work by watching the footage on YouTube, she is forced to ask them directly for advice. That is exactly what happened with her “Run the World (Girls)” video for which she and her creative director, Frank Gatson, hired a pair of dancers of Mozambique to teach her the routine after she failed to copy the moves on her own. I hope Beyonce paid them more than minimum wage.

Beyonce’s music doesn’t reflect her life

Beyonce has experienced so many struggles in her life – tension with her father and the breakup of Destiny’s Child – yet she still can’t create better music than childish uptempos and shallow ballads. Wait, what am I saying? She wrote that song about her miscarriage!

Beyonce doesn’t care about her fans

For the entire duration of Life is but a Dream, Beyonce spoke about her pregnancy, her work-related feud with her father and her love for Jay-Z yet she never mentioned the people who gave her the life that she enjoys – her fans. They spend hours hounding people on the internet in defence of their beloved “queen” yet she didn’t even spare a moment to acknowledge them them for their devotion. Hey, worker bees are their to serve the queen, not the other way around.

Praise me, minions!

Beyonce is a hard worker

Regardless of what we think of Beyonce, there is no denying that she is a hard worker. She has devoted herself completely to her craft and pushes herself to achieve greatness, no matter the cost. There aren’t many artists who would rehearse in the hallways of a hotel the night before a performance and that demands respect.

Now that you have read my review of Life is but a Dream, watch the show and share your own view below:

http://thelavalizard.com/...m=facebook

Issues that i have not just with this but quite a few DOCUMENTARIES, this is polished edited and organized to make a point on the person you are documented, there is nothing told opposite per say. So thats one issue and thats true of many documentaries like this, kind of like those horrible diary shows that MTV did, this is basically that order. TWO i agree she works hard but alot of people work just as hard, so yes props to her but still, everyone pushes themselves to greatness this and that, this doesnt show me anything new here, without watching this i could have told you that she works hard and strives etc.... Lastly Music Business now isnt what it was, so there is nothing to compete with as far as other artists, since soundscans peak after the POP explosion and labels then started losing money and sales dove at a rate they never saw coming, the business isnt a business now, its not competitve, its not even a MUSIC business now, Beyonce is a media star, first before music comes into play, that is a different type thing, that competition to be a media star sacrifices her and others as music artists, which is why i cant call her hard work the same as stevie wonder or elton john recording 2-3 albums a year and touring like they did.


"We went where our music was appreciated, and that was everywhere but the USA, we knew we had fans, but there is only so much of the world you can play at once" Magne F
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #27 posted 02/18/13 8:47pm

MelinaB

avatar

You guys are so lame.

  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #28 posted 02/18/13 9:43pm

paisleysoul

I don't get all the fascination bout her, she so over exposed, just like j-lo.I think she's pretty, ok singer..but kinda boring otherwise Imo.
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Reply #29 posted 02/19/13 2:00am

noimageatall

avatar

nammie said:

I don't get why HBO is showing it on two channels for 24 hours but please believe she'll get an Emmy for it.

I wondered that too. 2 channels for 24 hours??? eek disbelief Damn the pope doesn't get that. lol

"Let love be your perfect weapon..." ~~Andy Biersack
  - E-mail - orgNote - Report post to moderator
Page 1 of 3 123>
  New topic   Printable     (Log in to 'subscribe' to this topic)
« Previous topic  Next topic »
Forums > Music: Non-Prince > Observations from Beyonce’s ‘Life is but a Dream’ HBO Documentary