“Michael Jackson’s This Is It” was one of my favorite films of 2009. “Celine: Through the Eyes of the World” follows another pop icon, Celine Dion, from start to finish of her 2008 World Tour. If you didn;t see this in the theater it’s definitely worth catching on DVD.
We get to see all of Dion’s experiences, good and bad, during a tour that takes her to 25 countries, 93 cities and 131 shows. Along the way she meets with some extraordinary people, including Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali, visits historic sites, including a Nazi concentration camp and spends a lot of time with her family and fans.
And, of course, she sings. The movie includes performances of most of her popular songs, but only a few of them from start to finish. Maybe that’s because this is not just a “concert film” but a “tour film”. The movie spends much more time showing us Dion off stage than on. And we get to know her husband and son as well. You really get to understand what life is like on the road of a concert tour. And you appreciate the struggles Dion goes through with a few illnesses during the tour that caused her to lose her voice, and cancel shows.
The directing and editing are excellent. The film crew shot over 800 hours of footage. Getting that down to a 2-hour film could not have been easy. There are some nice moments with Dion and her dancers and back-up singers, and we see her trying to be a normal mom, with young son, Rene.
I wasn’t a Celine Dion fan heading into the movie. I don’t think I could have named one of her songs. But I still enjoyed this movie a lot. And if you are a fan – this is a must-see.
“Celine” is not rated. It’s appropriate for everyone. The close-up’s of her vocal chords during a visit to her doctor are a little gross, but other than that there’s nothing to worry about. Two things to know if you’re planning on seeing the film: Ticket prices are a little steep ($15) and it’s only showing for a limited time in select theaters around the country. But it’s worth the $$$ and it’s worth finding.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Celine: Through the Eyes of the World” gets a B+. These concert documentaries are starting to become a new, favorite genre for me.
According to Dion, all the footage was originally intended to become a home movie for her family, but soon they realized that it could be much more than that. A very good decision. A DVD of one, entire concert from the tour is set to relesed soon. That will be a must-buy for fans.