With nepo babies populating the industry, it’s sadly rare to hear stories like Lauper’s these days. They truly don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore.
What it's about
Tracks the slow but steady rise of Cyndi Lauper, whose creativity, advocacy, and musicality continues to make an impact today.
The take
You don’t have to be an avid fan to enjoy Let the Canary Sing, which presents itself as a joyous blast to the past and an enlightening account of How to Make a Superstar in the ‘80s. Lauper had some help from the industry of course (not that she always listened) but she was a self-made, self-promoting artist who reveled in her outsider status and defiantly punk style. It’s a joy to see her find her voice and cement her status in an overcrowded market, and it’s just as great to see how much work was put into musical gems “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “True Colors,” which have served and continues to serve as anthems of sorts for her unwavering advocacies for women and the queer community.
What stands out
The music, naturally. If you didn’t cry at least a single tear during the “True Colors” segment, your heart is made of ice.
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)
A gangster’s son finds a new way of living in this intense, piano-playing neo-noir
7.6
Hail Satan? (2019)
Forget everything you think you know about the Satanic Temple
8.0
Cold War (2018)
A quiet Polish masterpiece with ravishing music and dazzling visuals
9.2
The Commitments (1991)
Before Sing Street, there was The Commitments, an Irish band of young hopefuls escaping grim reality with the joy and promise of music
8.6
The Edge of Democracy (2019)
Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.
9.0
Sound of Metal (2020)
Riz Ahmed excels in this piercing drama about a musician losing his hearing.
9.1
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)
A gamer with disability crafts a life and community in online roleplay in this unconventional, moving documentary
8.3
Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
A darkly hilarious portrait of the inevitability of death
7.9
Honeyland (2019)
A cinematic achievement in the portrayal of the last wild beekeeper in Europe
9.3
The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)
A fun New York comedy about the pressure of unreached goals