Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never-2011

Before seeing the new documentary about the relatively short and successful life of Justin Bieber, I knew very little about The Biebs. I knew that he was young, yet looks much, much younger. I knew that his song "Somebody to Love" was ridiculously catchy, but that he is more well known for his signature hair and that said hair was recently cut. I also knew that his fans are for the most part, certifiably insane. 

Now the creation of a "rock"umentary is for the most part to either:

A) Give fan service to the devoted who love the artist portrayed

or

B) To educate the non-fans and to have the audience grow exponentially

That being said, I gladly put myself into the second category. Yet did watching Never Say Never make me a true Belieber? 

Never Say Never doesn't bother hiding the fact that just as many little girls love Bieber for his looks and hair as much as they do for his music. Yet the film shows something I wasn't expecting: they show that Bieber does in fact have talent. Bieber is shown as a musical prodigy, playing drums extremely well at a young age and picking up and learning every instrument he possibly can. To watch this young kid holding his own, or even surpassing people twice his age, is astonishing. 

The film cuts between these looks at his younger life, living with his single mother, and showing the build up to Bieber performing at a sold out Madison Square Garden. As a child, Bieber's mother knew her son had talent, and began to post videos of him performing on YouTube, which led him to work his way up the ladder. Eventually Bieber met up with Usher, who became a mentor for him and the rest is history. 

The rest of the film's focus on his big performance is the attempt to show him as a "normal kid" (hanging out with friends, playing pranks, doing homework, etc.) seem painfully staged at points. Frankly at some points, Bieber just comes off as kind of a jerk. 

Some of the films best moments, however, are watching the way the lives of the people around Bieber are changed. In one instance, his best friends are forced to ignore constant phone calls from girls who want to get closer to Bieber. Which brings us to the fans...

The film shows upfront the hysteria that goes into fans seeing Bieber. The crowd at his concerts are 95% young girls, and the constant screams show that. Especially at the big day at MSG.

After close calls and the possibility of cancellation, the show goes off without a hitch. The show is pure spectacle, with fireworks, crazy dancers and guest stars galore. For someone around twice the age of the usual audience, and the wrong sex, I could appreciate the concert for what it was. The dancing was fun and the songs are admittedly catchy (I found myself humming several of his tunes while leaving the theatre, and for a while after), and thankfully Bieber does get to show his talented side with a drum solo portion of the concert. But once again, I'm not the key demographic here. 

I'll admit to having a good time with Never Say Never, but I haven't really become anymore of a fan than I was walking in. I respect that he is seemingly much more talented than he is given for and that he does seem to be more than what meets the eye. Hopefully over time, Bieber will focus more on the music rather than the image, which he definitely is aware of and has no problem making fun of himself, and he may just have a career along the likes of someone like Justin Timberlake. Hey, never say never.

Rating: C+