Renee Fleming: A Film by Tony Palmer

Renee Fleming: A Film by Tony Palmer
by Tony Palmer

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Category: DVD
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DVD details

Actor: Daniel Barenboim, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Ren?e Fleming
Director: Tony Palmer
Cinematographer: Richard Numeroff
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), PCM Stereo; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-11-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Decca

DVD Reviews of Renee Fleming: A Film by Tony Palmer

DVD Review: A real eye opener
Summary: 5 Stars

If you liked Ren?e Fleming before watching this, you will really fall in love with her in this documentary. She really opens up and you get to see a side of her that people don't normally see. I would highly recommend this to aspiring singers and opera lovers alike. Ren?e really takes you into the world of a professional singer as well as her own world with her 2 daughters. Great movie!!!!!!!

DVD Review: Must be a big fan
Summary: 4 Stars

I was not familiar with Opera, never heard of Renee Fleming until I saw the Mormon Tabernacle Choir a couple Xmas's ago. Renee Fleming was the guest. She walked out and was a vision! gorgeous blonde with sparkling blue eyes. When she sang I was blown away and an instant fan! In following days I bought several items of hers, including this dvd. I'm not sure what I expected, but this wasn't it. I watched once and it has been on the shelf gathering dust ever since. Thanks to my new surround sound home theater, I decided to watch all my music related dvd's again!! I'm glad I waited till now to review this. I liked this much better the second time. You can't just be a fan of opera though, you must really like Renee, and we see her warts and all.

It's odd to see how uncomfortable she seems in her own skin, and doubtfull of her insanely perfect voice. Very little "Biography" type info, which was disappointing. Tony Palmer was trying to be too artsy as well. It opens with an old "Muppets" clip with Renee singing to them about counting, then immediate flash to Renee singing at the still smoldering 9-11 site. Then somber Ingmar Bergman type music as we see some pictures of Renee as a child. Then flash to what looks like a homeless man directing an orchestra while Renee, looking haggard with wild hair sings and spits. On second viewing though, I appreciated her really letting her guard down as they filmed all.

Her version of "Never walk Alone" gives me the chills. I had the stereo SO loud and watched five times in a row. That brings us back to the artsy complaint....what's with the guys playing soccer during that stirring performance?? and why did Tony think we wanted to see them instead of Renee? I say if you are new to Opera, and are starting with one of it's big stars, don't buy this. If you really like Renee specifically and can get it for a good deal, get it and watch twice. Especially before reviewing. It's better the second time... AND buy Renee's Xmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which was filmed for dvd! It's the BEST.

DVD Review: So-so documentary on the great diva
Summary: 3 Stars

Well, I cannot have everything. This is a very so-so documentary with some interesting off-stage moments and interviews with the wonderful Renee Fleming. However, it's just too short coming in at 1 hr. Left me wanting more for both our magnificent diva and my money. Renee deserved a much better documentary and so did her fans.
I wish Renee had discussed some of the more controversial moments in her career. It was fun to see her early childhood pictures (very cute) and the Muppets performance which had me cracking up. I question why the director followed this amusing clip with the heartbreaking performance of "Amazing Grace" at a Ground Zero tribute. It was lack of taste by Tony Palmer.
Personally, I would have liked to see more archived rehearsal and stage performance footage. Renee's two daughters are adorable and make a few appearances. I think if more additional performance footage had been added and brought the documentary to over 2 hrs then I'd feel not so shorted out of $.

DVD Review: I LOVED this DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars

I could not disagree more with the below reviewer! I am a huge Renee Fleming fan; as a young singer myself (21), I look to her for inspiration. Yes, her voice is gorgeous ... but what this DVD does amazingly well is to capture a bit of Renee Fleming, the person. We see in this a woman who lives an incredibly hectic life with grace that most of us only dream of. It is an amazingly honest view of her talent and vocal versatility, as well as a tribute to an amazingly genuine, down to earth person. I watch this DVD over and over, just to observe what a marvelous actress she is (especially in the version of Otello that they show).

PS -- Reading her book, "The Inner Voice," really enhanced the DVD viewing for me.

DVD Review: Ms. Fleming deserves so much better.
Summary: 2 Stars

This DVD is pathetic. I love Renee Fleming with all my heart and there is nothing I would rather do than listen to her sing. It is too bad we didn't get more of that in this film. What is good in this film are a few clips of Renee singing and rehearsing. What is bad are a many useless interviews with the people around her (probably due to the interviewer asking all the wrong things), long interviews with people who have no more insight into Renee and her music than an enthusiastic fan might, incredibly tacky editing (including an instantaneous jump from Renee on Sesame Street to Renee singing at the site of the 9/11 attacks), a bunch of very gratuitous shots of Renee rubbing elbows with big names, a slow pace, random still shots of oceans and sunsets thrown around as filler, some ghastly boy soprano filler music, and just a general sense of taking a long time to say very little. I learned just about nothing from this DVD. Renee is lovely throughout it...she is not the problem. The problem is in the direction. Tony Palmer, shame on you. Renee Fleming deserved a classy, informative tribute full of singing and insight instead of this pile of junk.

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