377. I Am Woman; movie review

 

 

I AM WOMAN

Cert 15

116 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, drug misuse, domestic abuse

"Have you never heard of Angie Baby?", I quizzed Mrs W overly dramatically, as if I were a world expert in the music of Helen Reddy.

The truth is that it is the only song which I knew had been a hit for the Aussie singer. Meanwhile, her biggest - the feminist anthem I Am Woman - was much more famous.

Indeed, that is the apt title for Unjoo Moon's engaging biopic which takes us from Reddy's big move to America right up to her death earlier this year.

It is a story which highlights huge successes and almighty crashes.

Moon's film begins with Reddy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) arriving in New York in 1966 with her three-year-old daughter, a suitcase and $230.

She was on a promise of a big recording contract after winning a contest at home in Australia but it fell through.

As a consequence, she ended up penniless and working in seedy, near-empty bars in an attempt to pay the rent.

She met two people who changed her life - journalist Lillian Roxon (Danielle Macdonald) and Jeff Wald (Evan Peters) who would go on to be her manager and husband.

Within five years she had become one of the biggest stars of her era and even had her own American television show.

However, while women were carrying her baton, the wheels started to come off personally and professionally.

I Am Woman is very sympathetic to Reddy. It fetes her for her music and her political importance.

And perhaps that was it - she may have just been a great singer and wonderful person who made some duff romantic and management choices.

But while I enjoyed the music and was pleased to be informed about Reddy's career, I couldn't help thinking there must have been more to her life.

Also, I became aware through post-movie reading that the early chronology was mangled by the film's makers for dramatic effect.

Why do they do that?

Reasons to watch: Good subject for a biopic

Reasons to avoid: Alters history to the movie's detriment

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? In 2011, Billboard named Helen Reddy the No. 28 adult contemporary artist of all time (No. 9 woman).

The final word. Unjoo Moon: "I remember so clearly sitting in the back of the station wagon, the Volvo station wagon, and my mother and her friend were sitting in the front and Helen’s voice would come on the radio and they would wind down the windows of the car and let their hands move in the breeze and they both would sing along really loudly. " Punch Drunk Critics

Share this post