Gaga: Five Foot Two

Netflix

            Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta) is a pivotal figure in the world of pop music. Verging on true legendary status, after only nine years in the public eye, she is always innovating, changing, and displaying her heart on her sleeve. She is beloved for her music, fashion, acting, and activism, and she is stunningly talented, so it was a no-brainer that the icon be represented in a music documentary. Musician documentaries have become a valued and celebrated genre, and can range from banal to shockingly introspective. Director Chris Moukarbel has created a look into the psyche of a woman who does nothing but love, yet doesn’t always get loved in return.

            This was a critical moment in Lady Gaga’s life: she had a new album dropping, she was acting in the sixth season of AHS: Roanoke, going through the breakup of her engagement, and she was in talks to perform at the Super Bowl. On top of all that craziness she was still suffering from extreme bouts of pain thanks to an old injury to her hip from her Born this Way tour. This isn’t just a great look into the extreme efforts of putting together an album and working hard, but also a brazen introspection into why artists make art. Lady Gaga is really honest in her everyday life. She tells people when she’s uncomfortable, sad, confused, or in pain, and that honesty is what makes her such an amazing celebrity. When she meets her fans, she becomes emotional. When she’s alone at the end of the day, away from the adoring crowds and friends alike, she feels lonely. Lady Gaga relates everything to the camera, but you can tell this isn’t unlike her day to day life.

            I wouldn’t say this is just for Lady Gaga fans, though the film doesn’t trace her origin story like other modern popular docs like Katy Perry: Part of Me or Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. This film is more a snapshot in time. For those who don’t understand her beginnings, her intense media presence for several years, and her new glamour and sophistication (harkening to Madonna’s throwback period in the early nineties) some things may be confusing. She doesn’t specifically talk about her ex-fiancé, Taylor Kinney, or her machinations, but by explaining Joanne, her highly personal and stripped fifth album, we learn what’s behind the glitz and theatricality. Honestly, if you’re a crier, get the tissues, because the story behind her newest work is gut wrenchingly horrible.        

            While it’s not investigative like Truth or Dare, or blisteringly savage like Rattle and Hum, Moukarbel isn’t afraid to show the cracks in the foundation, to film the pain and sorrow with detached ease. We aren’t owed anything by celebrities, even those who put themselves in their work as much as Lady Gaga. Still, knowing what I know now, the kinship and the true admiration for Lady Gaga has only grown stronger