Rating: B-
Ella Fitzgerald was, and remains, one of the most incomparable voices in the canon of American music. Hers is a talent that is uncontainable to a single era, too immense to do anything but continue to ripple through the generations, influencing and directing all who dare to stand on the stage and sing. Thanks to that voice, that talent, that grit and determination, she has achieved something that remains out of reach even for the biggest of stars: immortality.
A new documentary from director Leslie Woodhead, Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things, attempts to parse through the life of the legendary vocalist and, for the most part, does a fair job. It serves, as a decent primer on Fitzgerald’s life, making it a perfect entry point for new fans or those who don’t know much about her astounding life. Unfortunately, her life was too grand for a 90-minute exploration, and the film itself does suffer, somewhat, as a result.
Even despite its intro-level presentation, however, Woodhead has managed to assemble a solid look at broad strokes of Fitzgerald’s life and career. All film, documentary especially, is a necessarily limited form and so a filmmaker must make their choices. And while Just One of Those Things does tend to stay somewhat in the shallow end, it still offers a wealth of information for the casual fan that should inspire further research into Fitzgerald. As jumping off points go, one couldn’t ask for better.
Where Woodhead and her film succeed best is in the historical contextualization of Fitzgerald. Working within the relatively strict confines of 90-minutes, the film manages to set the historical stage necessary for understanding not only who Fitzgerald was but how she achieved all that she did and why she still resonates today. The film begins at the start of the Harlem Renaissance, a world into which Fitzgerald was thrust when her mother brought her to New York in search of a better life.
It’s within this milieu that the seeds that would one day grow into one of the most remarkable, talented singers of all time were first planted. Not just in terms of the music—the jazz, the blues, the musical theater—that reached her ears and touched her soul, but also the social structures and racism that permeated society even away from the Jim Crow south. This, coupled with the Great Depression, imbued Fitzgerald with the grit to achieve her dreams.
Woodhead follows Fitzgerald’s career from unassuming performer at the legendary Apollo Theater to ambassador of jazz and the American songbook known across the world and the contextualization of the world she grew up in certainly helps to set the stage. That theme runs throughout Just One of Those Things, giving a nice, well-rounded look at her life and legacy.
Still, the film suffers somewhat through its presentation. For exploring the life of someone so singular, Just One of Those Things bows too hard to convention. There’s a lack of a spark that one might expect to see in a film about one of the most important figures not just in American music but American history. Reverent though it is, it feels, too often, rote. As a result, the film plods from one era to the next without giving a sense of excitement or thrill beyond the enjoyment of Ella herself.
For all its faults, however, there’s no denying that Woodhead has assembled a great wealth of information and history with Just One of Those Things. It may not reach the exciting heights of its subject but, then again, so few things in this world ever could. There be nothing groundbreaking in its presentation or jaw dropping in its revelation, but Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things does manage to capture and secure the broad overtures of her life well enough to make it a solid entry point for new fans or people who are just eager to learn.
Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things is now available on the virtual cinema platform Eventive.
