Celine Dion’ doc is harrowing, humorous and hopeful: review

One of the rawest moments I’ve ever seen in a documentary about a living superstar comes near the end of “I Am: Celine Dion.”

The “My Heart Will Go On” singer, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome that’s hindered her ability to sing and even walk, is at a physical therapy session in 2022 when she begins having a seizure. 

Facing downward on a massage table, the 56-year-old frighteningly convulses and writhes in pain until she can no longer move. Dion, curled up, moans in agony.

A man then calmly tells her to squeeze his hand if she can hear him.

“Do you want us to take out the cameras?” the physio asks the singer about the documentary crew.

“I’m OK,” she mouths.

Right then, Dion is clearly not OK. But the brave celeb wants to unsparingly show the world what she’s been going through; the titanic battle that’s ripped her away from where she belongs — the stage. 

And opening up is exactly what she does in the excellent “I Am: Celine Dion,” which hits Prime Video on June 25. In turns harrowing, humorous and hopeful, the Celine documentary does not hold back.

In an entertainment landscape cluttered with carefully curated images and artificial public relations campaigns, the film’s brutal honesty is refreshing — shocking, even — if hard for a Celine fan, such as myself, to witness.

“I feel like I should never complain about anything again,” a friend said to me after the movie. Too right.

Of course, that Dion is always unabashedly herself is why so many fans adore her around the world. Her vibrant personality prevents the movie from being depressing. It’s lifted up by optimism — and jokes. 

If you’ve ever seen Celine’s eccentric interviews and behind-the-scenes videos, you know how funny she can be. Here, she’s a scream as she examines her Imelda Marcos-size shoe wall and determines: “I have nothing to wear!” 

Or when the mom of three and her teen twins, Nelson and Eddy, draw faces on coconuts for a get-well video message to a pal.

There is also a biographical side to the doc, as it relives her electric stage performances, going all the way back to her childhood in Quebec, Canada. The concerts are an adrenaline rush, until the present day rips us back to harsh reality.

She revealingly talks about how she concealed her health woes for a time, forcing herself to perform and taking 90 milligrams of Valium per day for the immense pain. But the burden, physical and emotional, became too great to bear.

“There were moments I cheated,” she says in tears. “And I tapped the microphone like it was the microphone’s fault.”

“The lie is too heavy now.” 

Throughout the movie, it’s heart-wrenching to see one of the greatest singers of all time struggle to hit notes she once wailed as easy as talking.

“This is very difficult for me to show,” she says of her diminished voice caused by the disease’s frequent muscle spasms. “I think I was very good.” 

We later watch as she tentatively returns to the recording studio to perform her 2023 song “Love Again.” Over several days, and initially disappointing results, Celine tries over and over again to get the tune right.

“I’m gonna have to switch to head voice because I don’t think this is going to work,” the famous beltress frustratedly admits.

She gets there, eventually, and the mood is triumphant. The track is not “The Power of Love,” but it’s a step.

Throughout her journey, Dion finds solace and joy in her three children. Eddy and Nelson are 13, while older Rene-Charles is 23. The eldest son was at the Lincoln Center premiere Monday night supporting his mom. 

“This is my love letter to each of you,” Dion said from the stage with Rene-Charles. “I hope to see you all again very, very soon.”

So do we.