Our defender of 1 Direction, Sahira really delves
into movie, (thank God! It’s not us!) and tells us
like it is..
One Direction – This Is Us
Sony Pictures
Rating: PG
Running Time: 92 minutes
Three years, two albums and world tours,
and now, one movie.
Too much, too fast? Apparently not for their fans.
Even though Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis
Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik –
collectively known as the pop boyband One
Direction (as if you didn’t know that already) –
seemed to have appeared out of nowhere
(possibly through fairy godfather Simon Cowell’s
magic), they immediately shot to stardom into
every corner of the globe, selling out concert
tickets within minutes. But never fear, Hollywood
and the big screen are here.
This Is Us is a breezy look into the boys’ shot to
fame from their X Factor days to the insanity of
their current popularity. Joining the recent trend
of music documentaries (Katy Perry: Part Of Me,
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, etc), concert
performances are interspersed with backstage
antics, talk, and a vouyeristic look into the group’s
life – in a very controlled environment, of course.
There was no mention of the boys’ frequent
tabloid appearances or even any of their
girlfriends, just the five having fun while being
lucky enough to live the dream (as we are r
eminded many times throughout the show).
There is no way anyone can call One Direction
talentless; their flawless harmonising on Little
Things and hilarious backstage ad-lib of a reggae
version of Last First Kiss proved how they won over
the thousands of teenage fan girls with not only
their voices and strong stage presence, but also
their undeniable charm. Also, in a time where ‘bromance’ is highly desirable within fans, the
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boys’ genuine friendship and hilarious banter of
wits only add to their appeal. In one scene, the
boys separate for a break and Malik and Payne
share a hug before Malik runs for his flight. “Have
fun!” Payne calls out, to which Malik yells back,
“Maybe not, ‘cause I’ll miss you!” Cue “aww”s
from the audience.
The movie attempted to add an emotional
depth by featuring the boys’ mothers, as well
as following each of the boys back to their
respective homes. While some conversations
with their parents felt scripted and really awkward,
I enjoyed watching the mothers interacting. Each
shared heartfelt and honest stories of how they
hadn’t seen their sons at home since they left for
the X Factor audition. Payne’s mother in particular
missed her son so much that she bought his
standee and kept it in his room (much to Payne’s
disconcertment when he was back home).
It seemed like director Morgan Spurlock didn’t
really try too hard with the film. While he tried
to include everything the fans would love and
lap up, there was barely any depth, and die-hard
fans would probably have seen or known about
everything This Is Us had to offer. Perhaps
everything the band did had already been
covered extensively by the paparazzi and media,
so it is really hard to throw any surprises. For
example: the scene where Malik gifts his mother
her dream home – though sweet and touching –
was on every tabloid paper earlier this year.
Overall, the movie is fun for the already converted,
but those who are merely curious might just leave
the theatre scratching their heads and wondering,
“That was it?”
3/5 stars
This Is Us was in cinemas 29 August 2013 exclusively at
Cathay Cineplexes.
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