No Ordinary Man
2020
Action / Biography / Documentary / Music
No Ordinary Man
2020
Action / Biography / Documentary / Music
Plot summary
The legacy of Billy Tipton, a 20th-century American jazz musician and trans icon, is brought to life by a diverse group of contemporary trans artists.
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A touching and intriguing discussion about the life
Not just the recontextualization of Billy Tipton's life
No ordinary avalanche of self-indulgence
I can only echo what other reviewers have said. There's almost nothing about Tipton here. A few snatches of music and a brief summary of his life story at the beginning. The remaining 75 minutes of the film is the filmmakers and other interviewees talking about themselves. That's it. You think it's going to be five minutes of context before they get back to the Tipton story but no, it goes on and on and on.
I wish the film makers could have made a film about Tipton's life, times and music (there is literally nothing here about the music; literally nothing) but it seems that they couldn't resist making a film about themselves instead. It's odd, because many of the interviewees complain that Tipton's achievements were overshadowed by the fact that he was transgender, and that we shouldn't let his gender identity define him. But that's exactly what this film seems to be doing.





