Cirque Du Soleil: Without a Net

I saw "O" in 1998, it took my breath away. I'd been to shows before, but nothing like Cirque, let alone "O". The scale, the water, the undeniable talent and commitment of the performers, and the music. I purchased the CD and still listen to the music now 25+ years later.

I didn't realize how profound an effect the this feature would have on me. The opening was sad of course, but when the music of "O" began I got chills. I was instantly transported back.

Then hearing the stories of loss, struggle, change, and rebirth gave me a new level of appreciation for not only the scale of what it takes to put on a single show, but the dedication and passion to the craft that everyone has and maintains through months and years.

Before the premier, one of the show's leaders said that if they can influence 200 of 1,800 then they have made a difference. I cannot imagine how any "O" performance affects less than all 1,800 people.

Cirque, and "O" especially for me, is a treasure.

I saw Cirque du Soleil both in Las Vegas and in Montreal and I can only imagine how hard it was to be ready in such a short amount of time. These athletes are world class performers and seeing the behind the scenes was fascinating. I absolutely love seeing these performers and it almost felt like magic seeing the beauty and art in each performance. Covid was horrible and so many people died and have long term effects. Seeing how many of the cast and crew were able to come back was heart warming. I'm not sure I understand the bad review this received. I guess we all experienced Covid in different ways. We are senior citizens and we stayed home for almost 18 months. We didn't get Covid until we had been well vaccinated so our experience was mild. However, we were in pretty good shape before hand and have struggled to regain our physical stamina. These young people are so inspiring! Thank you all for your hard work and the joy you give in in your performances!

For what it actually is, it's well done. But it's not really a documentary about Cirque du Soleil coming back into business and letting the audience see some of the amazing dancing and sets. Instead it's intros & interviews with the dancers & acrobats - who we see performing only in small glimpses - and corporate heads as they're plummeting into the abyss of the pandemic; and then the step back up after laying off over 1500 people who all struggled to put food on the table. It's very low budget. In the last 10 minutes, we are graced with a very brief peak at the final show, which was not as good as I recall from decades past - but in person, no doubt, spectacular.

I have no way of knowing their budget over the years, but I do know they charge a high rate to attend. You could attend a 3 hour concert for less. For the years between 2010 to 2022 they had been given permission by the Jacksons to use Michael's music in their program, which was one of their biggest draws in those years. This was against Michael's actual wishes because he felt he didn't want his brand to be over-sold and prevent people from wanting more. You must admit, he had a point. (After his passing, the family finally could saturate the market as they'd been pleading for him to let them do for years.)

But the pandemic was a horrible time for everyone. This film is made in 2022 before a majority of people became aware that the so-called pandemic was really just a common cold cousin and that the statistics had been severely dramatized to upset the smooth economy & push the lucrative jab. The CDC states only 0.03% of deaths were attributed directly to the virus without any underlying condition. It was an alarming wagging of the dog that I hope someone will answer for one day. We should all be angry for that.

I think this film will appeal to those who were in the Cirque du Soleil business and perhaps to other artists and dancers who went through similar situations. But I was disappointed at how little of the performances they felt this audience was deserving of. I didn't have any investment in hearing about each dancers home life and families and struggle, unfortunately. I am giving it five stars although I really didn't care for it that much.

This is the 3rd time I have to go through the time & energy to repost my review as someone is babysitting these and falsely reporting reviews they don't personally approve of. I'm removing stars accordingly. I'm very persistent because I loathe bullies. The appropriate way to disapprove of an opinion is to use the Dislike option.