★ 4 / 10
Director Alison Ellwood’s “Let the Canary Sing,” a
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
Director Alison Ellwood’s “Let the Canary Sing,” a straightforward documentary about the life and career of 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper, would be another…
Director Alison Ellwood’s “Let the Canary Sing,” a straightforward documentary about the life and career of 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper, would be another forgettable, pedestrian movie if not for its kooky and unconventional subject.
Long-celebrated for her unusual style, many will know Lauper as the unique voice behind beloved songs like “She Bop,” “Money Changes Everything” and “Time After Time, but Ellwood shines a light on the personal and social activist side of the music star. It’s so nice to see a film give this likable songbird the cinematic stage for a change.
The documentary chronicles Lauper’s childhood and early roots, from an abusive home environment that led to out of control drug use and other self-destructive behavior. She had a rough go of it while growing up in New York, but her story is one with a positive outcome.
The most interesting parts of the documentary explore Lauper’s rise to stardom, beginning with her first gig as the lead singer for the band Blue Angel, to her role in starting a pop revolution with a female empowerment anthem that has stood the test of time.
She had the idea to create a persona that leaned heavily on self-deprecation, with goofy jokes and a thick accent that exuded charm from the get-go. Lauper was one of the first artists who understood and embraced the music video medium to boost her career.
The film is a celebration of her music, and Ellwood doesn’t shy away from using Lauper’s biggest hits as a soundtrack. The blaring intro chords from “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” turns the film into a vehicle for celebrating Cyndi’s cheerful, catchy pop songs that are as bubbly as she is.
The documentary is traditionally structured and features interviews with family, fans, managers, professionals, and peers, completing a broad portrait of her life and career. It’s a film that is mainly focused on the music, which is the best angle to take.
Many won’t be aware of Lauper’s tireless advocacy, but happily the film addresses her continued work fighting for important causes like feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and diversity. Not only has she personally testified before Congress, Lauper was one of the first artists who insisted her videos be captioned for the hard of hearing, and she was a trailblazer who embraced and featured gay, transgender, and cross dressing people in her videos. Lauper has tackled social issues in her latest works, with song lyrics that speak about hot-button topics like abortion and abuse. She’s an artist who may be evolving with mixed critical and financial success, but she has always stayed true to herself.
“Let the Canary Sing” is a loving tribute to a woman with a unique voice, a boisterous personality, and a natural raw talent that will leave a lasting legacy on American music.
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★ 6 / 10
"What's someone like me doing in a life like this?"
moonspinner55
The Cyndi Lauper story, told in shorthand using music videos, TV clips, interviews (with Cyndi, her siblings, and her celebrity friends), and animation when…
The Cyndi Lauper story, told in shorthand using music videos, TV clips, interviews (with Cyndi, her siblings, and her celebrity friends), and animation when necessary. Growing up in Brooklyn and then later Queens, NY, Lauper was a nonconformist interested in making an artistic statement. Fame didn't come until she was 30, meaning it took Cyndi 16 years of hard work as a "beer hall singer" before she became an 'overnight success'. Anyone who hasn't read Lauper's well-written, fearless 2017 autobiography "A Memoir" will have to use the internet to fill in the gaps left behind by director Alison Ellwood's haphazard narrative (hoping to disguise Lauper's lack of chart success in the '90s, she backs one music video against another, always interrupted by comments). Fans know Lauper's story; newcomers might find themselves stranded by the third act, which cobbles together marriage, motherhood, a Broadway success, and a hoped-for return as if this were a puff piece on "Entertainment Tonight". As for our star, she's a great feature subject, even if she's interviewed here in an unattractive hairstyle/hair color that makes her look old before her time. **1/2 from ****
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720p please ?!