| Gaga: Five Foot Two | |
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| Directed by | Chris Moukarbel[1] |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Lady Gaga |
| Cinematography | Chris Moukarbel |
| Edited by | Greg Arata |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Gaga: Five Foot Two is a 2017documentary film about American singer-songwriterLady Gaga. It documents the events around the production and release of Gaga's fifth studio album,Joanne, and herhalftime performance at Super Bowl LI.[2] The film, directed by visual artist and documentarianChris Moukarbel, made its debut at the2017 Toronto International Film Festival before having a worldwide streaming release onNetflix on September 22, 2017.[3][4][5] It was also shown during the European leg of Gaga'sJoanne World Tour, before each of her shows.[6]
According toNetflix,Gaga: Five Foot Two is ofcinéma vérité style, as to give viewers "unfiltered, behind-the-scenes access" to a year in the life of Gaga,[5] during which they cover the production and release of her fifth studio album,Joanne. Many events are covered including her experiences with her entourage, her encounters with fans and her struggle with chronic pain caused by the onset offibromyalgia.[7][8][9] The film also offers an extensive look at the creation and execution of her critically laudedSuper Bowl LI halftime performance, in addition to a variety of other topics and events, including her home life, the filming of her guest role as the characterScáthach onAmerican Horror Story: Roanoke, and a discussion about her feud with singerMadonna, among other things.[7][8]
Gaga: Five Foot Two has received generally favorable reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 73%, based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 6.40/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Gaga: Five Foot Two offers an absorbing glimpse of its superstar subject's backstage life, albeit one weakened by inconsistent focus and a dearth of performance footage."[10] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 63 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
Film criticOwen Gleiberman reviewed the documentary forVariety saying that "Gaga radiates a potent energy — she's intensely funny and aware", and compared it to other musical documentaries likeMadonna: Truth or Dare (1990). He commended Moukarbel's direction saying that he was able to "mix things up", showcasing Gaga's meltdowns as well as her camaraderie with fans.[12] Leslie Felperin fromThe Hollywood Reporter complimented the scenes in the documentary such as Gaga playing "Joanne" for her grandmother, but found that despite all the jarring camerawork, the singer was more focused and scripted about her appearance. Felperin was positive about the technicalities of the film, saying "[the] package is assembled with competence and style, with graceful editing by Greg Arata helping to create a strong sense of story and continuity. Moukarbel and his sound editors frequently use swelling soundtrack choices and a flurry of fast edits to suggest the frenzy of Gaga's life."[13]
The documentary's poster and cover art, featuring rainbow waterfalls, flowers, and an extra eye streaming down Gaga’s face, was created by Berlin-based German artist Pierre Schmidt (aka Drømsjel). Drømsjel's work, characterized by a surreal combination of vintage collage and digital manipulation, attracted the attention of the film's director,Chris Moukarbel, on Instagram. According to Drømsjel, the piece was a collaborative effort between himself, Gaga and her team, Netflix, and Dutch photography duoInez and Vinoodh, who shot the photo for the cover.[14] The pair have photographed Gaga for a variety of past projects including the singer's cover art for her 2013 single, "Applause".[15] According to Tilly Martin from websiteCreative Boom, the artwork fits right in with the Drømsjel's signature style which combines collage of vintage fashion imagery with digital manipulation to yield colorful surreal compositions. Along with digital artists Laura Albert, Christophe Remy, and Melissa Murillo, Drømsjel citesSalvador Dalí andFriedrich Nietzsche as major influences on his work.[16]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | February 24, 2018 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Documentary | Jonathan Wales Jason Dotts | Nominated | [17] |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 17, 2017 | Music Documentary / Special Program | Gaga: Five Foot Two | Nominated | [18] |
| MTV Movie & TV Awards | June 16, 2018 | Best Music Documentary | Gaga: Five Foot Two | Won | [19] |
| NME Awards | February 13, 2018 | Best Music Film | Gaga: Five Foot Two | Won | [20] |
| Webby Awards | May 14, 2018 | Online Film & Video: Best Music – People's Choice | Gaga: Five Foot Two Live Nation Productions | Won | [21] |
| Online Film & Video: Best Editing – People's Choice | Won | [22] |
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