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The Daily Tar Heel

Review: Lady Gaga lets us know she's more than just 'Five Foot Two'

She might be "Five Foot Two," but her fierceness makes up for her size. 

"Gaga: Five Foot Two" is a documentary following Lady Gaga’s challenges during the production of her US number one hit album "Joanne" in 2016 to her Super Bowl performance in 2017. 

The documentary released on Sept. 22 tracks a rare narrative among other artist documentaries. While it covers her studio production with her trusty producer Mark Ronson of the lead singles "Perfect Illusion" and "Million Reasons" for her album "Joanne." It also allows viewers to see the normal aspects of the pop rock star’s life as Stefani Germanotta. 

Directed by Chris Moukarbel, the film exhibits very personal vulnerabilities as Gaga struggles with the chronic pain of fibromyalgia and her break up with Taylor Kinney. With a small film crew, the movie showcases a mixture of happy and difficult moments that successfully enables the delivery of a very raw and genuine account of the American singer, a uniqueness that I very much appreciated. 

Gaga talks about the series of challenges she has had to face in her life and still faces, including the issues of early fame and being a woman in the music industry. 

Gaga showed that sexism is a very prominent problem across all industries when playing her role of Scáthach in "American Horror Story." The star approaches this issue with dry humor, imitating producers who have told her: “You’d be nothing without me.”

The documentary shows her in a very unwavering light. Her determination to go back to her roots as Stefani is very honest, shown in her desire for "Joanne" to be about family and friends. The film shows her to be apprehensive of how her fans will perceive her without the continuation of her famous eccentric outfits. 

I think it does a great job in communicating her newfound understanding that she doesn’t need outlandish costumes to be Lady Gaga. The production of her album shows her final decision in the plain profile of her face and the iconic pink hat on the cover of the album "Joanne."

The film particularly focuses on her chronic pain. Her struggles against fibromyalgia date back to when she broke her hip in 2013, which caused her to cancel her "Born This Way" tour in Europe. These parts in particular are very vulnerable sides of Gaga that viewers are not allowed to see very often. 

I find it exceptionally awe-striking that Gaga remains dedicated to the job, and is shown throughout the documentary to power through her physically intensive performances despite the pain in her hip. We are led to sympathize with her when she receives the news that her album had been leaked while she was at the doctor’s office. 

Ultimately, the documentary succeeds in its ability to cast Gaga as very human, as it is hard not to idolize celebrities who have starred in the lives of many across the world but remain very far removed from normality. 

@mathieu_beni

arts@dailytarheel.com

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