But, moments after getting a viewer deeply invested in his story of grappling with depression, makers of The Boy from Medellin compel us to dance to Balvin’s music.
The Boy From Medellin
The Boy From Medellin
On: Amazon Prime
Director: Matthew Heineman
Cast: J Balvin
Rating: ****
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Albeit speculative, a study of the grim origins of nursery rhymes is a subject worthy of attention. That Ringa Ringa Roses was a throwback to the plague is a fact fairly known, but few may be aware that even the seemingly innocuous ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, catch a tiger by his toe’, apparently traces its roots to slave trade, with the original lyrics reading: ‘eeny, meeny, miny, mo catch a negro by his toe, if he hollers make him pay, twenty dollars every day’.
Why are we bringing up the history of nursery rhymes when penning a review of the documentary on the rise of celebrated Colombian singer J Balvin, you ask? Because, this disconnect between peppy poetry and its rather dark origins is unusually usual in documentaries on revered musicians. There isn’t much to debate about when establishing that Balvin’s music is absolutely beautiful. And even if you are not familiar with the names of his songs, you have in most likelihood, grooved to his foot-tapping numbers, Mi gente and Ginza. But, moments after getting a viewer deeply invested in his story of grappling with depression, makers of The Boy from Medellin compel us to dance to Balvin’s music. Music aficionados are familiar with tunes that do justice to an artiste’s persona. But whether Balvin, whose battle with depression forms a major chunk of this film, employs happy notes as a means of escapism is a question that begs a thought.
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The Boy from Medellin grazes upon several subjects, but, more importantly, it chronicles a matter that plagues celebrities across the globe — should you, and would you involve yourself in political matters when afforded the privilege of a platform. Revolving around his 2019 November show in hometown Medellin, slotted at the inopportune moment amid the anti-government protests, the film sees Balvin battling criticism for his silence while his people suffer at the hands of those in power.
For the most part, he makes a case for his silence, reiterating what several Bollywood actors do when prodded to discuss politics — ‘I don’t know enough about it to comment’. Balvin loves his people, which makes his desire to understanding why a certain section of them “hate” him, more deep-seated. “People see the glory. But they don’t know the story,” he laments. There is an earnest attempt to reflect the opinions of both, the artiste who didn’t sign up for the “responsibilities” that come with success, and his people, who wonder why one among them refuses to reciprocate the love they show him with a hint of support.
Like we have in several documentaries in the past year alone, we see him negotiate with himself as he prepares to share a post on a public platform, pulling back when asked, “are you going to post this?” and even reaching out to trolls who chide him for his indifference. And even while the film gives Balvin several occasions to justify his silence, two contending prominent conversations, one with his manager, and another with a young fan, elevate this debate.
At its crux, Matthew Heineman’s directorial venture beautifully chronicles an artiste’s battle with social media, and politics. Instead of a taking the haphazard approach that is commonplace with documentaries, Heineman also aptly showcases it as a journey leading up to his concert. The manner in which he showcases as many facets about Balvin’s life as he does over a seven-day journey is particularly noteworthy. The music is flawlessly employed to breathe life into his story. In fact, it could be safe to say that Heineman’s film is among those that commendably recruit musicians’ music when chronicling their life story. When debate about his political stand settles to the background, we are introduced to the softer facets of his life, including a rather adorable discussion between him and the parents of his long-time girlfriend.
Beneath it all, a tale about a young immigrant’s rise to stardom is what stayed with this writer. “And now, we’re here,” he says, as he steps onto a stadium that, only moments later would be brimming with fans calling out his name. The stadium is special. Years ago, he played a small set at the venue ahead of a sporting event. “I was singing but nobody was really paying attention,” he says. “Now, we’re here.”
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