Boxing Clever: I thought Framing Britney Spears would be better
The whole thing felt a bit like a Britney documentary cobbled together from old footage. Which it was, really.
I thought (Sky Documentaries and Now TV) would be better. There’s been plenty media discussion since it aired in the US and over here, suggesting that this is a must-see 1 hour and 11 minute documentary, that will blow your mind away. It didn’t — at least not in our house.
The first bit was engaging , showing how a genuinely talented performer from Bible Belt Louisiana made her way first to the Mickey Mouse Club and then overnight mega-stardom thanks to her song (and video) . We track the beginning and end of her relationship with Justin Timberlake and his creepy ‘revenge’ video that is obviously about her. There is no shortage of shameful interviews with chat-show hosts, where they can barely hide their disgust at a young woman at home with her sexuality. There is tabloid misogyny too, in the shape of a New York Post headline ‘Bimbo Summit’ over a photo of Britney, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. And of course, we see her demise and the toll it takes, as she cracks under the incessant attention and contempt, losing custody of her kids, and control over her finances.
The thing is, we knew all this already. We’ll never run out of documentaries about the rise and fall of Britney Spears. The extra bit in this latest documentary was supposed to be about the weird arrangement, where her father and others continue to control both her person and business affairs under a system known as conservatorship. This has been in the headlines thanks to a group of supporters known as the #FreeBritney movement, who want her to be free from the yoke of this conservatorship.
Maybe I’m old and grumpy, but I felt like saying to them — ‘are there not more important issues in the world right now?’ I also felt like asking the documentary makers why they couldn’t get at least one of Britney, Justin Timberlake, or her father to appear in this show. We ended up spending a lot of time listening to her former personal assistant, and two super-fans from #FreeBritney who run a podcast analysing her Instagram posts. They felt like filler and the whole thing felt a bit like a Britney documentary cobbled together from old footage. Which it was, really.
(Now TV) is a pleasant surprise. There are a couple of people I trust to recommend a decent TV show, including the woman who does make-up on Today Show in RTÉ Cork, along with a friend of mine in Dublin. This friend recently recommended but I gave up after 3 or 4 episodes. So, I was a bit nervous when he said I should watch , because it’s hard to tell a friend that his taste in TV is starting to suck. Anyway, no fear of that. is a belter of a psychological thriller, set in 1970s Memphis as a Vietnam vet returns home to a very muted welcome. It’s eight episodes of pure gold — give it a watch.
