The Boy from Medellín

It was very interesting, but also somewhat painful to watch. As a J Balvin fan I would love to see him happy, but you see how many struggles he has (and you ask yourself why he puts himself through them, being very strict to himself). I think it was intentional to show, that being a star is not what many people would think it is. The title is well chosen - J Balvin is still a boy from Medellin, a star on the outside, but still insecure and very vulnerable on the inside.

Being a star helps with your bank account but it can make life´s lessons harder to learn. On the one hand the ego is flattered by all these fans, on the other hand there is this deep longing to be loved - but it can only come from the inside, and you can clearly see how lost J Balvin sometimes is. So very very brave to show this to the world to see.

This is a great documentary showing the real life of a world class star. Being from Colombia I understand some if the nuances missed in the real life footage. For example, you must have been in Medellín and in the comunas to understand why that portion of the documentary is so relevant. I also liked the fact that José's struggles with mental health.

As he says in the documentary: J. Balvin the artist and José are two different people. Highly recommended.

"The Boy From Medellin: (2021 release; 96 min.) is a documentary about Colombian reggaeton superstar J Balvin. As the movie opens, we are in Mexico City, as J Balvin is arriving at a massive outdoor show. He takes a moment to impress onto his audience that depression needs attention. After the show, he flies to his hometown of Medellin, Colombia, where in a week's time he will give his biggest show yet at the local soccer stadium. The documentary follows him around for the next 7 days...

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Oscar nominated Matthew Heineman ("Cartel Land") whose production team was seemingly given unfettered access to J Balvin those 7 days living up to the home soccer stadium show. There are a number of interesting things about this documentary: it's not just about the music, in fact, there are very few music moments between the opening in Mexico City and the Medellin show 7 days later. Instead, we see J Baldvin, or Jose, go about his ever life in those days. And as it happened, Colombia was going through social unrest, with massive demonstrations in the streets, putting into doubt that the Medellin show could even go on. And whether J Baldvin would even offer any comments about the social unrest taking place. And oh, did I mention that he was suffering from a serious illness (laryngitis)? Very little is shown about how this guy became the superstar that he clearly is. Equally amazing: no footage of preparations or rehearsals for the Medellin show (if they ever happened). Which is all the more amazing when you see the footage in the last 15 min. Or so of the actual Medellin stadium show (spoiler: yes, it did take place). All in all, a very satisfactory documentary. I had heard of this guy, but knew next to nothing of him. This documentary does a great job in providing insights on him.

"The Boy From Medellin" just premiered on Amazon Prime (where I watched it) and is now available on Amazon Instant Video and other streaming services. Even if you have never heard of J Balvin before or at best are vaguely familiar with him (as I was), I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

I enjoyed every minute of this documentary. It makes you realize how J Balvn is just a regular human being like the rest of us. To each their own and to me I give it a 10 out of 10.

If you're looking for an entertaining video tour around Medellin and snapshots of its world-class women.....from the perspectives of the luxury SUV of a jet-set celeb, and the terraces of splendid villas in surrounding hills....then this is the show for you!!

The main downside is that J Balvin comes across as a male Reggaeton Judy Garland.......inexplicably.needing constant emotional and medical propping up from a sizeable crew of therapists, spiritualists, physicians, and general minders. Boring after the first 10 minutes......except for his constant wardrobe changes to a new 500 dollar hoodie-tee shirt combo, in each new scene!

The footage of the much-awaited concert suffers from choppy editing and a muddy sound mix, leaving you wondering what all the fuss was about. Basically, as artistically impressive as a Super Bowl Half-Time Show in an "off year".

As for Balvin's "political awakening" in reaction to a barrage of Instagram posts by protestors in Colombia's streets, coinciding with his return to his home town....you feel that his new-found "consciousness" will wear off as soon as he returns to his mansion in South Florida.

Despite my complaints, however, it was a fun couple of hours in front of the tube. Viva Las Chicas de Medellin !!!