Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over

Besides the incredible talent, Miss Warwick is the epitome of soul, class and glamour.

This docufilm goes back to her roots and early beginnings. It is interesting to hear about all the other talents who got their start at the Apollo Theatre. She also tells a story about touring the south back in the 1950s. She said, "I had never been treated like that before." Well, at least she wasn't treated badly in the north, for the most part. Thank goodness for that at least.

It touches on her financial problems but doesn't go into her strange oddyssey with the psychic network. It also ignores her turn as the glamorous and regal host of Solid Gold.

What impressed me further was her taking on gangsta rap for their misogynistic lyrics. Only SHE could pull that off!

I don't get Snoop saying she paved the way for people like him. Apples and Oranges.

Finally, Dionne Warwick is getting some of the due she deserves. I know, how can you say that a women who has had the career, accomplishments and accolades that she has received, is underrated, but I do. As Clive Davis says herein, she is at the top pantheon of female singers-an all time great. You have to have seen her in concert, in her prime, to truly appreciate the power of her vocal talents and her ability to move you through song. I've been privileged to see her live a couple of dozens times, beginning in 1969. The first record I ever bought was a Dionne Warwick album.

But, of course, as this outstanding documentary shows, she is much more than just her music. She is a leader. A philanthropist. A mover. A shaker. She is a legend!

A very straight-forward endless parade of compliments by everybody from Elton John to Bill Clinton. Not that she deserves anything less. Mrs. Warwick is one of the all time greats. What really anoyed me from the start was me thinking there was something wrong with my TV. Everything was so digitally polished that the people looked like computer-animated cartoons or filtered profile pictures on tinder. It was at some point terrible to watch at. Maybe it was just the lightning (wich I doubt) People in their 70's/80's looking younger (weirder) than ever. Wich is very ironic because all and all it's all about soul. Yet everybody looked soulles. I hope this doesn't become a trend in biographical documentary's. I like my humans to look like, I don't know, humans...

Somewhat typical/predictable in that the slew of notables interviewed are generally fawning in their praise; but less typical in that there is quite a bit of first-person commentary from Ms. Warwick herself on the various stages of her career, and an added bonus is that her commentary is notably objective. There are a nice number of clips showing her performing many hits from over the years, though not much footage from the recording studio showing the "making of the sausage." Some detail is shared about the recording of a few numbers, but that welcome, back-story perspective of specific songs is relatively sparse.

One of the best docs I've seen. I'd forgotten how many great songs Dionne Warwick had made, but I enjoyed even more the reminders, revelations and details about her life offstage: the refusal to back down when pitted against Southern racism and segregation; the fight for AIDS awareness, including raising tens of millions of dollars for AMFAR through the song "That's What Friends Are For"; the sit down with gangsta rappers to explain to them that their misogynistic lyrics were harmful and the impact that had on Snoop Dogg; and of course, the most important thing, the incredible loving relationship she has with her sons, despite the fact that she was an international star, in constant demand all over Europe as well as the U. S. Director Dave Wooley deftly pulls it all together in a beautiful way. I highly recommend this great piece of filmmaking.