2O15 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL COVERAGE: “WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?”

A DOCUMENTARY OFFERING A CANDID LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF LEGENDARY MUSICIAN NINA SIMONE OPENS THE 2015 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL!

Article by John Pugh

We’re currently freezing our butts off in the name of glorious cinematic art. Expect plenty of coverage here at Cinemast.net in the next few days. Here’s a look at the opening night film.
“WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?“

Sundance 2015 started off on a positive note with the fascinating Nina Simone documentary, WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? Fans of this legendary jazz blues artist–and honestly, who isn’t?–will find this movie of particular interest.

The first half of WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? is fairly straight forward delving into Simone ‘s childhood years as a brilliant classical pianist and then, moving into her adult years as a dynamic blues singer.

While this is a tribute to an American icon, it is also a “warts and all” look at the price of success. Scenes featuring Simone’s daughter reminiscing about her own turbulent childhood with a touring mother are rather heartbreaking.

This intimate doc also touches on Simone’s volatile relationship with her manager/husband, her time as a spokeswoman for civil rights, and her tragic bout with manic depression.

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? is loaded with rare interviews and live concert footage and it really captures the essence of this vibrant, colorful, complicated woman.

The final third of the film is a bit of a downer, but appropriately so. A moment in which a seemingly broken down Simone demands that a departing fan sit down before she’ll commence with a live performance is intense. The pain Miss Simone exudes while singing the song that follows, is haunting and powerful.

This isn’t 2 hours of popular musicians covering Simone tunes and talking about their love for this iconic musician. While something of that nature would have been nice, WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? chooses to dig deep into the psychology of this powerhouse singer.

As an added bonus though, it should be noted that many of the musicians who Simone has influenced through the years– including John Legend, Common, and Erykah Badu– were on hand at the fest to perform in her honor.

For Nina Simone fans, WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? is a must. It does skip certain portions of her epic life, but by and large, this is a candid, insightful look at a master of her craft. And it’s an even deeper look at the loneliness that can sometimes come with being famous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llfBIJF9cxI