Celine Dion needs no introduction. Her powerful love ballads resonate across generations. Even at her highest notes, she always remains in control. The singer tries to exercise that ability during one unforgettable point in I Am: Celine Dion, the new documentary on her life and career. She tries, but her voice barely touches that nonchalance. She knows it, and unleashes this performance without any ego. After being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, the film abandons any one-sided view of the singer, who is introspective with her well-wishers, family and friends. The film shows her voice in a new light, with unabashed honesty and modesty. (Also Read: Exclusive Interview: I Am Celine Dion Director Irene Taylor Says ‘I Didn’t Make Film For Fans’)
Directed by Irene Taylor, the documentary begins with the pain of Diane understanding the changes happening to her body with every passing second. She first shared the news of her diagnosis in December 2022 through an Instagram post. The cinematic approach here is extraordinary, as we watch Celine share her experience, her fears, worries, contradictions; all of it, in a raw and unscripted flow. The film also makes it clear that only Celine’s voice matters here. Hence, there is no tendency to show the celebratory and nostalgic images of friends and family members in front of the camera. Celine faces the camera throughout, responding to herself and her audience with raw emotional clarity.
It helps that Celine has a wealth of archive footage from her early days, stage performances, studio recordings and public appearances; which, in brutal contrast, demonstrate the balletic and graceful agility that the singer always possessed. Irene has made excellent use of these materials, working to the strengths of cinematographer Nick Midvig and editor Richard Comeau. The cross-cuts between earlier footage and present-day therapy sessions, in particular, are never overdone. These anecdotes are deeply moving, a reminder of the power and strength even in those moments of pain.
All of this culminates in a haunting scene that is most visible in the second half of the narrative, as Celine goes to record for a song two years later. She tries again after a faltering note, apologizes and begins again. Her expectations of herself have not changed. Yet, this results in her body going into spasms, which then take a horrific turn, as she has a seizure. Her doctors come rushing in. She can barely move. The camera stays still and carefully distanced. This is as raw and harrowing as it can get, and the camera itself doesn’t know where it will lead. I gasped and held my breath in these final moments. Thankfully, there is a comeback, and the singer stands up.
I Am: Celine Dion is that rare documentary about a celebrity that finds the living, breathing entity behind the mask of glitz and drama. Here she is simply Celine, a woman accepting her immediate reality. A woman who is a singer, who loves her fans and is desperate to go on stage. A woman who refuses to give up. As disturbing as this documentary may be, it is an exclamation of strength and resilience.
