PRINTMovie Review: Katy Perry: Part of Me
Katy Perry shows that life is bitter and sweet
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures
July 6, 2012 | 12:00 p.m. CST
Moviegoers don’t have to be “California Gurls” to like this one. Whether they have a sweet tooth to satisfy or they’re just in need of a sweet dream, Katy Perry: Part of Me could fulfill their indulgence.
Audience members are welcomed into a “fantastical” 3D world Katy Perry has created for fans from the minute the movie starts rolling. This fairytale setting is similar to the Wonderland or Oz they’ve always imagined, peppermint forest and all. For an hour and 37 minutes, viewers are part of Perry’s yearlong tour that began in 2011.
It’s clear early in the movie that Perry writes songs like a teenager writes in a diary (meaning her lyrics are emotion-driven and honest). The songs featured in the film are placed in relation to the real-life events that inspired them. This is how the audience is taken on Perry’s journey fueled by her successes and failures.
Appropriately, the movie opens on a high note with "Part of Me” and ends hopefully with “Firework.” In between is the raw footage of what life is like when a girl has to balance her personal time and her celebrity career. The movie gives you a glimpse into the not-so-fairytale life of Katy Perry, the 21st century pop star. From the rough teenage years of a starving musician in a strict Christian household to the downfall and eventual loss of a love-struck marriage to Russell Brand, viewers witness Perry’s silly and sad sides. At 27 years old, she won’t settle for anything less than her childhood dream.
There’s a story behind her Smurf colored wig, her candy-covered costumes and her rhinestone microphone. It’s the tale of good girl gone bad, but also the sweetness she shares with her followers.
Vox Rating:
