American Symphony

This film was our pick for a recent Sunday matinee and was a good choice for a sunny afternoon with bad air quality. It was a documentary about the super-talented Jon Batiste and his creation of a symphony to be performed at Carnegie Hall. But it was also about the unexpected recurrence of his partner's (and now wife's) cancer from a decade ago. I love movies about the artistic process and how artists and musicians create their work, and this didn't disappoint in any regard. Batiste is a joyful, uplifting person no matter what they're going through and the love and compassion they have for each other is truly inspiring.

This is from the Obamas' production company, Higher Ground, and you can see their spirit if not their hand in the finished product. We weren't sure if we were going to enjoy this as we thought it would be sad, but it was ultimately beautiful, touching, and insightful. It's a bummer it didn't get a Best Documentary Oscar nom but I definitely recommend it, playing on Netflix.

What was I expecting? The typical rock star vibe, I guess. Absolutely wrong! Not even close. This is an amazing film about a person who is more than we suppose him to be.

John Baptiste is an amazing human, amazing musician, so much feeling expressed through thoughts, actions, movement, embracing everyone, leading everyone. Feeling expressed as action, music, words, thoughts. It is a heavy burden to carry. This film portrays all of this so well that you feel what is happening. You do not just watch it. And it is not all happy but it is moving towards a better outcome.

Now, I want to know more about this interesting person through his music, through his good works, through his writing. Our world is made better, larger with him in it, I feel somehow. I need to experience his music to understand more. And this film, this documentary, is an exceptional way to experience the mystery that is John Baptiste.

This Documentary is a poignant tale about life, love and art. It is a must see inspirational testament to overcoming insurmountable obstacles and turning poison into potion. Watching the story arch build you get an intimate peak inside what makes Jon Baptiste, the person behind the music, and his highly collaborative creative process. As well as Jon Batiste the family man. The story itself is the embodiment of an American symphony, encompassing all the genres and styles that form what we know to be an important part of American pop culture. If you've ever faced adversity while honing your craft then you will be able to see yourself through the subject of this compelling story.

American Symphony is an incredibly personal documentary that strikes a very strong balance between its portrayal of the artistic process and a beautiful relationship. It may be conventional but when it's so well crafted and its story is so emotionally resonant it's near impossible not to be moved or affected by any of this.

Jon Batiste is very open here, showing so much in what feels like a very real look at his life and struggles. A magnetic presence when on the stage yet so humbling and relatable in everyday life. It's so interesting to watch his ideas forming in real time whilst his relationship with Suleika Jaouad gives the film its strongest moments.

Matthew Heineman's direction manages to be very cinematic in its construction whilst still being able to maintain a consistent sense of intimacy. The structure of the film is really good too, building to the titular symphony in classic biopic fashion which gives it so much weight. Batiste's music and closing song really compliments everything and further foregrounds his undeniable talent.

I have thoughts in response to the one review claiming it felt too staged / too amateur with camera angles that were out of focus or too close up, and the message didn't focus enough on ONE issue... but then the reviewer spoke on the few scenes that stuck out and made them feel deeply and we're beautifully filmed.

Isn't that life?

Isn't film... art?

Art is supposed to be open to interpretation, and make you feel something personal to YOU, and not to lead you to extract something specific. The artist is simply expressing and hoping to evoke some type of feeling in you, but most painters/drawers/sculptors will never tell you what their art "means." They'll ask, "what do you think it means? What does it speak to you?" I think the way it was filmed though, is intentionally a representation of life. The director wasn't going for "professional," clean, consistent, etc. It's apparent he was demonstrating the very thing Sulaika profoundly stated - "I feel like we're living a life of contrasts." And THAT, to me, was THE main message of the movie. No, not just their relationship, cancer being so hard, him breaking molds and records as a Black artist, or that he's a "broken" man (which... If that's what you considered broken, you must be living under a rock lol). He's a man who feels deeply but his brain sometimes gets anxious when he isn't staying present in his body, in his soul, in his inner knowing that everything is always changing. "God gives and takes away", he said in one scene. Coming to grips with that, and practicing non-attachment, is key. Especially considering the immense amount of pressure he was under, his anxieties are normal and real. This is the human condition. His wife is also a woman who feels deeply, and is very intentional about not wanting to NOT feel every ounce of the highs and lows of life that make it the HUMAN experience. (notice Jon's band is named "Stay Human"?)

This film reminded me of my deep love and connection with music, HOW it saved me at many points in life, and how and why cultures and traditions across the globe find peace, strength and joy in it and through it. Resilience, hope, and relief.

And how sometimes in the most intimate, honest moments of expression, there just aren't words to suffice. Silence spoke so loudly in this film and that touched me deeply.

Lastly, i want to speak on how this reviewer called Jon pretentious. I wonder how Jon's jubilant, confident, cool demeanor would be received if he weren't a Black man from New Orleans. Sure, he knows he's a genius. Good for him! And he also gives honor and credit to God/Source and the people who have shaped him. Why is it a bad thing that a little Black boy grew up with the acute awareness of just how excellent and magical he is? Is he not kind? Generous, encouraging? Loving? What is it about the way that he carries himself that is negative? He is a young King that honors his queen and loves people deeply. (We can all think of another intelligent, cool, confident, witty Black male who has been in the spotlight since 2008 who also was called "pretentious." smh.) I don't imagine the reviewer shared the same skin tone as Jon. But if so, there's an internalization of a mindset that's caused them to play small their whole lives that they're projecting outwardly. And if not, I think the subconscious concern is more about how dangerous it is when people of Color, especially Black folks, know just HOW brilliant they are, and ACT on it with full faith and confidence. It shifts the frequency of the entire globe, and that shifts power. And people who have historically held all of it, don't want that change. But like Jon said in the beginning of the movie, (summarizing here:) we're all a part of something happening in and around us, an unfolding. A shift. Whether we want to see and acknowledge it or not.