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Out of tune: why does Hollywood struggle to capture pop stardom?
Pop psychodrama Mother Mary might look and sound the part but it’s the latest failed attempt to turn the life of an arena-touring singer into a compelling movie
TL;DR
- 'Mother Mary' is criticized for failing to convincingly portray a fictional pop star, despite using elements from real artists like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande, and featuring music from FKA twigs and Charli XCX.
- The film 'The Idea of You,' starring Anne Hathaway, is cited as a more successful attempt at depicting pop stardom, partly due to its convincing portrayal of a boyband and their music.
- Capturing the 'ineffable star quality' that makes a performer pop on camera is a key reason why fictional pop stardom is hard to portray, contrasting with the success of biopics like 'Rocketman' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'
- Films that use pop stardom as a backdrop rather than a thematic engine, such as 'Trap,' 'Smile 2,' and 'The Idol,' have fared better by incorporating recognizable elements of modern celebrity.
- 'Vox Lux' is presented as a more divisive yet compelling pop star movie, portraying stardom as a Faustian bargain with a dark view of the music industry.