I’m not sure what kind of movie Irene Taylor was set on doing when she agreed to this documentary; she had no idea that Celine Dion was sick. The final results are a gripping and mournful portrait that focuses on Dion’s life after being diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that made it increasingly difficult for her to sing and perform at shows.

There is so much sadness, hurt and regret here as the star tearfully talks about what life on stage means to her and how she wants ”the lying to end”. Very naked and honest, with a shocking scene near the end where Taylor’s crew happen to catch a sudden seizure.

We are constantly reminded of Dion’s past triumphs – and the film opens a window to a possible future.

2024-U.S. 103 min. Color-B/W. Directed by Irene Taylor.

Last word: “Eventually I showed her the [seizure] scene, which was 50 minutes whittled down to between 4-5, not including the song. I showed it to her, very importantly, in the context of the whole film. It was so intensely revealing that I didn’t want to show it to her out of context, nor did I want to show her the raw footage. I mean, I would have if she asked, because she was only semi-conscious when this happened. Anyway, I showed her my fine, rough cut, and the very first thing she said was, ‘I think this film can help me.’ I think she meant a lot of things by that. And then she said, ‘And I don’t want you to cut out that scene, and don’t cut it down.” (Taylor, Variety)