In recent years I’ve seen a lot of documentary films based on musicians or bands. The latest film I’ve seen is based on American R&B and Soul singer/songwriter/ and record producer Luther Vandross. He has written a lot of hits in his genre of music and had collaborations to go with those. He is considered one of the best of this generation. This film shows just that.

Luther Vandross started as a backup singer but started to show his talent to singers and record executives of the day at a young age. Collaborations with various R&B groups proved he was going to be a talent to keep an eye on. The documentary delves into those early days as well as the later days of his career. Like a lot of musicians and bands, he has had a lot of ups and downs in his career. 

Like a lot of documentaries in the past, this one has a few things that many others have. The first is talking heads. Jamie Foxx, Clive Davis, and Richard Marx among many other family and friends chime in on the incredible career of this man. The second is archival footage of various performances and appearances on talk shows or award shows. The third is this film has a narrative on the storied career of this legendary singer with the voice of an angel.

The narrative from the beginning to the end of this documentary is a story of the weight gain and loss of this man. Based on the ups and downs of his career he gained and lost weight. It was his curse his entire life. As he said in the film he constantly thinks about food from the time he wakes up until the time he goes to sleep at night. He doesn’t like to talk about it in the media, but he doesn’t deny the fact about this.

Vandross is known for some big hits such as Dance With My Father, Le Freak, A House is Not Our Home, Everybody Dance and I Want Your Love, which have a double meaning in the context of his life. His songs have had a theme of love and finding said love. There is a reason why the ladies love this iconic singer and his wonderful songs. They speak to everything women are wanting out of life and relationships. The one Vandross could never find in his personal life.

Even though I enjoyed this documentary as much as I enjoyed Vandross’s performances that I saw on television when I was younger. it’s just not a great overall film. Considering some other documentaries I’ve seen this year like Jim Henson: Idea Man or Steve Martin: In Two Parts, it just doesn’t compare to those. It doesn’t do anything special or interesting that blows my mind like other films have done this year. Dawn Porter, the director,  didn’t do a bad job by any means, but she didn’t do anything special either. It’s a fine film, but that’s it.

Luther: Never Too Much is just that. Not too much. It’s a good documentary that touches on a lot of the highs and lows of this man’s life. Including the weight gain and loss that followed him his entire career. This iconic singer with an amazing voice overcame all the lows and concentrated on the highs in his life. Such as his legendary collaborations and Emmy wins. This film is fine but doesn’t do anything creatively that makes it stand out among other great documentaries that have come out this year. I do recommend it though.

3 stars

Dan Skip Allen