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Mary J. Blige's My Life

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Mary J. Blige's My Life
Promotional poster
Directed byVanessa Roth
Produced by
  • Ashaunna K. Ayars
  • Q. Nicole Jackson
Starring
CinematographyKalilah Robinson
Edited by
  • Yvette M. Amirian
  • Parris Patton
Music byMervyn Warren
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon Studios[1]
Release dates
  • June 23, 2021 (2021-06-23) (New York City premiere)
  • June 25, 2021 (2021-06-25)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Mary J. Blige's My Life is a 2021 American documentary film about the musical career of American recording artist Mary J. Blige directed by Vanessa Roth. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of her 1994 studio album My Life, the film was released on June 25, 2021, on Amazon Prime Video.

Summary

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My Life revisits the early life and career of Mary J. Blige, with a focus on her 1994 studio album of the same name. The film features appearances by Andre Harrell, Blige's sisters, the My Life songwriters, Sean Combs,[2] Method Man, Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, and Nas,[3] as well as footage of Blige performing the album live for the first time during its 25th anniversary in 2019.[4]

Production

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In December 2019, Amazon Studios and Entertainment One announced a documentary film on Mary J. Blige.[5][6] The film was produced by Amazon Studios in collaboration with Blige's production company Blue Butterfly.[7] It was directed by Vanessa Roth, with Blige serving as executive producer.[8] The film also features music composed by Mervyn Warren.[9]

Release

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On June 23, 2021, the film received its world premiere at the Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.[10] It was made available digitally on-demand through streaming platform Amazon Prime Video on June 25, 2021.[11] A ballad by Mary J. Blige titled "Hourglass", co-written by Teddy Riley, Andy Murray, Benjamin Wright, and Romans, was released in conjunction with the film.[12]

Reception

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The film received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 60% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[14]

Johnny Loftus of Decider stated that it "celebrates the lasting influence of an incredible album" while also highlighting "the singer and songwriter’s profound struggle for wellness".[15] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Michael Ordona praised the film for "its fan testimonials of the album’s impact and Blige’s emotional recollections of the songs' roots."[16] Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com described the film as "fortuitously (providing) a love letter to Blige’s fans that teems with the same truthful message as the singer's best music".[17] In a review for Variety, Andrew Barker wrote that "as a fan-centric retrospective, (the film) hits plenty of the right notes; but as a chance to more thoroughly explore a complicated, still-influential landmark, it never digs quite deeply enough."[18]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Mary J Blige's My Life (2021) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  2. ^ Gracie, Bianca (June 25, 2021). "Mary J. Blige Remembers the Moment She Learned to Love Herself". Harper's Bazaar.
  3. ^ Leight, Elias (June 25, 2021). "Mary J. Blige's 'My Life' Documentary: 8 Things We Learned". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ Legaspi, Althea (June 1, 2021). "Mary J. Blige Reflects on 'My Life' in New Documentary Trailer". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ Vlessing, Etan (December 3, 2019). "Mary J. Blige Documentary in the Works From Amazon, Entertainment One". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. ^ Zemler, Emily (December 4, 2019). "Amazon Studios Announces Upcoming Mary J. Blige Documentary". Rolling Stone.
  7. ^ Isama, Antoinette (June 24, 2021). "Mary J. Blige on the Power of Her Life and More". Ebony.
  8. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (June 25, 2021). "Mary J. Blige and Director Vanessa Roth Talk 'My Life' Film, and the Album That Impacted a Generation". Variety.
  9. ^ "War On Drugs 50 Years Later; Mary J. Blige Documentary". NPR. June 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Appler, Michael (June 24, 2021). "Mary J. Blige Celebrates 25 Years of 'My Life' at NYC Documentary Premiere". Variety.
  11. ^ Mamo, Heren (June 25, 2021). "Mary J. Blige Talks 'My Life' Doc, Protecting Her Inner-Child & Honoring Andre Harrell: Watch". Billboard.
  12. ^ Folk, Antwane (June 25, 2021). "Mary J. Blige Releases New Song 'Hourglass'". Rated R&B.
  13. ^ "Mary J. Blige's My Life". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 24, 2022. Edit this at Wikidata
  14. ^ "Mary J. Blige's My Life". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  15. ^ Loftus, Johnny (June 25, 2021). "Stream It or Skip It: 'Mary J. Blige's My Life' on Amazon Prime, Which Reflects On The Pain And Promise Of A Powerful Record". Decider.
  16. ^ Ordona, Michael (June 24, 2021). "Review: Determined women dig deep in four new documentaries". Los Angeles Times.
  17. ^ Daniels, Robert (June 25, 2021). "Mary J Blige's My Life". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  18. ^ Barker, Andrew (June 25, 2021). "'Mary J. Blige's My Life' Review: Landmark R&B Album Gets a Documentary Spotlight". Variety.
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