Warren W
We just finished this truly superb documentary. Going in, I knew I liked him and his work, and something told me he was a great and humble man, but so glad we took this journey with he and his daughter. Quincey Jones earns his amazing reputation with brilliance, creativity, passion, hard work and love of the humanity and beauty in our world. I can never thank him enough for his contributions to my own life - 2,900 songs, 79 Grammy nominations. Movies and movements that enhanced our sense and sensibilities. I thank everyone involved in this project for unwrapping the depth, breadth and beauty of this man and his work.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
12/03/22
Full Review
Audience Member
It is easy to recognize Quincy Jones contribution to modern culture with his long spanning and diverse body of work across many mediums, however when his career is laid out in front of you, all at once, the immensity of the stamp Mr. Jones has left on this country becomes overwhelming.
This documentary traces Quincy Jones career from his start while simultaneously following him currently, as he battles health issues and works on producing the Smithsonian African American History Museum's opening celebration. I appreciated the open, and seemingly honest, look with plenty of actual camera footage and commentary from Quincy, past and present, which was buffeted well by narration from his daughter Rashida and first wife Peggy Lipton.
In a day when so much in the celebrity world is image based it is hard to ever really know how people act or behave when cameras are off, so it is all the more refreshing a confirmation, in Jones' case here, when you see such respect across the entertainment industry for him, throughout his entire career. The end credits are truly amazing, and mindblowing, as his accolades are provided in bulleted format.
The way Jones was still able to summon the energy to put on such a heavily involved, multi faceted, production this late in his career was a further testament to the respect he has garnered from the generations that followed him as the list of those he signed on to contribute was more distinguished than one could possibly conceive. On a personal note, due to previous courses in museum studies, I appreciated watching the behind the scenes work leading up to Smithsonian opening from a technical standpoint as well.
Samuel L. Jackson Binge: This was a truly "blink and you'll miss it" appearance from Mr. Jackson, and I must have blinked. I even let the credits roll through to make sure his Letterboxd filmography was not mistaken and I finally saw his name as the VERY LAST credit, after well over 100 names scrolled by.
SLJ January #32
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/20/23
Full Review
Audience Member
He is a successful man, it could also be interesting to see more of the dark side.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
Full Review
susan j
I was really looking forward to learning more about Quincy Jones--where his inspiration comes from--how can such an endearingly charming man, someone who works tirelessly at being charming and is so deliberately outward-facing and extroverted also be such a thoughtful artist? When the "lights" are off, who is this man and what makes him tick when he is alone? What is beyond his near-manic workaholic zeal? And a few times the film comes close to hinting at that, but perhaps since this is a project of one of his many adoring daughters, it never moves very far beyond the golden glow of his image into the more shadowy part of his personality and life. It's not quite hagiography, but comes somewhat close. And it's pretty superficial and leaves the impression that maybe "Q" is simply pretty superficial too. I'm not sure if this is a 3 or a 3.5 star documentary. He worked with so many amazing people and there's a slew of breathtaking footage and compelling talking heads, but I saw it a week ago and realize it barely permeated my consciousness--which is rare for me re: music documentaries. Reminds me very much of the 2019 documentary, "Hitsville: The Making of Motown" -- stellar "cast of characters," and no shortage of endlessly amusing anecdotes, but about 1" deep. Both films seemed fearful of offending egos or bruising mythologies--rounding out the reality of the main subjects (here, Quincy Jones -- and in "Hitsville," Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson). Still, none of the 3 aforementioned music giants will be with us forever, and it's understandable they should prefer productions that depict carefully cleaned up approximations of who they actually were. Personally, I'm more deeply affected by warts and all approach to documentary making, but this was pretty good, with some definite high points---and above all a daughter's labor of love.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I knew Quincy was an incredible music producer but I was clueless to the depths of his achievements as a musician and composer in his own right. This documentary was a tribute to those but I think the parts I loved the most were the glimpses into his unique soul as an incredible human being.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/22/23
Full Review
Chris J
2,900 songs recorded, 300 albums recorded, 51 film and television scores, over 1,000 original compositions, 79 Grammy nominations, 27 Grammy wins, E.G.O.T. winner (only 18 people have ever accomplished this), producer of Thriller, conductor of "We Are the World"...
The man, the myth, the legend... Quincy Jones
This was an intriguing look into the life of a man who accomplished more than most people could ever dream of in a lifetime. The film itself was co-written and co-directed by Alan Hicks and Rashida Jones (his daughter).
My main reasoning for watching this was the fact that it was included on the shortlist for the 91st Oscars (original song) "Keep Reachin'" by Qunicy himself (featuring Chaka Khan). The irony is that you feel the history in this song! You feel Micheal Jackson, you feel Stevie Wonder. It definitely fits with the narrative of the film and shows the man still has it!
I wasn't a huge fan of the film as a whole, I appreciated bits and pieces of it and the overall story of what this man has went through and overcome is awe inspiring! I feel that you could really tell that the two mainly in-charge of the film are new to the medium.
I don't want to come off as hating the documentary, because I didn't. I just didn't walk away feeling that I understand the story behind this legend! I will admit I know far more now than before but there's more to a good documentary than just that.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
04/11/19
Full Review
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