American Symphony

Musician Jon Batiste is composing a symphony while his wife/writer Suleika Jaouad undergoes cancer treatment. This is a documentary. I know Jon Batiste only through "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". My surface take on him is radical positivity. It's more than being Ed McMahon. He seems like a guy who reacts with a smile no matter what the situation. This movie lets the audience a peek inside the curtains. There are moments. There are big moments of anxiety and doubt and depression. It may be small little peeks, but they are enough to paint a picture of the man and his relationship with his wife. Those extra paint colors really sets off the climatic musical performance.

Jon Batiste was first imprinted in my mind during Covid when The Stephen Colbert Show closed for the night. The undeniable positive, creative energy. A beautiful human who heals souls. I am not a religious person but now and again you come across humans who are just that.

Clearly the documentary shows you the other side and the very real struggle to not only helplessly stand by while your partner suffers but everything else. Eternal hope and realism and pure love.

This was my first introduction to Suleika. What a force and gorgeous artist. She makes me want to pick up my paint brushes again.

They are making quite an imprint in this world. Individually and ultimately together.

Thank you for making this movie. Kleenex thanks you too.

A self indulgent delve into an artist who is clearly talented. I don't profess to know anything about Jon Batiste, I have heard his name mentioned every now and then. The synopsis for this documentary described it as deeply intimate but that intimacy is mostly at the mercy of carefully set up scenes in my opinion. Batiste seems like a nice man but my word the makers of this documentary made him look like a bit of a self centred and pretentious individual.

It got about an hour in and I found myself talking to the screen, clearly I wasn't falling for the nonsense. I must say that the film picked up from the Grammy awards section onwards, which is good as at that point I was verging on awarding the film a 1 star review. Jon's wife Suleika Jaouad was clearly going through a terrible cancer ordeal of which I have full empathy. I did find a lot of the scenes extremely set up especially the wedding, some of the hospital sequences and Jon on the phone to his therapist.

The part when he is performing at the piano (not during the power cut) and he waits for what feels like an eternity to begin to play was something of a low point. The audience didn't look too thrilled to watch his show.

I am unlikely to further my education into Batiste, but I am happy to part company with him knowing that I didn't dislike him as much as I did during the first hour of this documentary, than I did at the end.

At one point his wife mentions that the music playing is "emotionally manipulative", I think this sums up American Symphony perfectly.

This Documentary is a poignant tale about life, love and art. It is a must see inspirational testament to overcoming insurmountable obstacles and turning poison into potion. Watching the story arch build you get an intimate peak inside what makes Jon Baptiste, the person behind the music, and his highly collaborative creative process. As well as Jon Batiste the family man. The story itself is the embodiment of an American symphony, encompassing all the genres and styles that form what we know to be an important part of American pop culture. If you've ever faced adversity while honing your craft then you will be able to see yourself through the subject of this compelling story.

What was I expecting? The typical rock star vibe, I guess. Absolutely wrong! Not even close. This is an amazing film about a person who is more than we suppose him to be.

John Baptiste is an amazing human, amazing musician, so much feeling expressed through thoughts, actions, movement, embracing everyone, leading everyone. Feeling expressed as action, music, words, thoughts. It is a heavy burden to carry. This film portrays all of this so well that you feel what is happening. You do not just watch it. And it is not all happy but it is moving towards a better outcome.

Now, I want to know more about this interesting person through his music, through his good works, through his writing. Our world is made better, larger with him in it, I feel somehow. I need to experience his music to understand more. And this film, this documentary, is an exceptional way to experience the mystery that is John Baptiste.