JENNIFER LOPEZ stars in THE GREATEST LOVE STORY NEVER TOLD Photo: COURTESY OF PRIME © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC
Courtney Howard // Film Critic
THE GREATEST LOVE STORY NEVER TOLD
Rated R, 1 hour and 26 minutes
Directed by: Jason Bergh
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Dave Meyers, Benny Medina, Ben Affleck, Jane Fonda
For those who prefer Jennifer Lopez having her psychological epiphanies minus the aid of a massive green screen on a sound stage, THE GREATEST LOVE STORY NEVER TOLD exists to document her revelations in real time as she takes charge of her own narrative through a sonic, cinematic expression. Director Jason Bergh’s masterfully constructed documentary runs complementary to the multi-hyphenate performer’s THIS IS ME NOW: A LOVE STORY, as well as giving key insight into her deeply personal backstory that informed her chart-busting album, “This Is Me… Now.” Insightful, intimate and immediate, the artist’s brave, intuitive creative process takes center stage – and it’s nothing short of fascinating.
Not many folks have had, or will ever have, a love story quite like the one La Lopez and Ben Affleck have shared. It spans a little over 20 years and was bathed in the fires of vicious public scrutiny which ignited a ruthless media frenzy. “Bennifer 2.0” has now emerged like a phoenix from those flames (similar to the infamous effigy tattooed on the Oscar winner’s back), stronger and more beautiful than ever. To mark the festive occasion, J.Lo crafted a sequel sister album to “This Is Me…Then” – one that ties the couple’s love affair up in pretty bow as a gift to all hopeless romantics out there. And if that wasn’t enough, she dreamt even bigger, envisioning this journey towards self-acceptance as a grand, surreal adventure, not too far off from Prince’s PURPLE RAIN or Beyonce’s LEMONADE.
Jenny from the Block’s love didn’t cost a thing, but her ambitious plans to make a feature-length musical experience came with a price tag. And just as she, long-time collaborator/ director Dave Meyers, and her shingle’s stalwart producers Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina were in the early days of pre-production, their original financing distributor backed out. She’s tasked to pick up the mounting production bills all whilst balancing the added rigors of casting the celebrity cameos as well as learning her lines and choreography. She’s even forced to choose the proper viscosity of the mud she’ll be dancing in during the heart factory sequence. As stress mounts, the camera captures her superstar resilience, in addition to incredibly human, real, raw insecurities.
For as much as Lopez’s genre-defying declaration of self-love defines this two-decade transformation she’s been soldiering through, Bergh shows a “warts-and-all” portrait of a true artist doing the messy, difficult daily work to dismantle her self-doubts and follow her creative dreams. This comes with staggering moments of candor – such as when she breaks down over Ben seeing her inner worth though the world didn’t, and also when she digs into her upbringing and family. She also is fearless, naming names of the scaredy cats who passed on her film – people like Vanessa Hudgens, Khloe Kardashian, and Anthony Ramos (who was supposed to be the boyfriend in “Rebound,” but bailed because of his friendship with Lopez’s ex-husband Marc Anthony).
It seems clear that Ben and Jen’s intent isn’t to monetize their private love life (and, even if it is, girl get that money!), but rather a shrewd instinct to get ahead of the tabloids and “the haters” who destroyed their relationship once before. In the film, Jane Fonda, Lopez’s confidante and MONSTER-IN-LAW co-star, worries this out-of-the-box creative endeavor will be seen as flaunting their perfect romance and, once again, invite negativity. Lopez herself is shown fretting about opening herself up to critique. Yet her reflexive resilience kicks right in, powering through these fear-filled blockades. “Fuck it. Do it afraid!” she states.
Affleck’s presence here is a blessing, peppering the picture with the occasional pop-in. During his casual confessionals, he noticeably carries some reluctance about their privacy being invaded again for the world’s prying eyes. Blessedly, he relented as his participation is a highlight. When he’s interviewing his wife, he pulls truths out of her she might otherwise had not disclosed to anyone else but him. Whether in adorable stolen moments (like when he’s nerding out over camera lenses and she feigns boredom) or in deeply reflective ones (like when he raises the question of forgiveness surrounding their allegedly amicable break-up), these segments showcase why we’re invested in this couple’s relationship success.
Similar to Lopez’s other streaming doc by Bergh, HALFTIME, we see a dynamic woman handling life’s complications with grace, fortitude and a powerful poignancy that we rarely glimpse in music documentaries these days. Of all Lopez’s identities – a businesswoman, recording sensation, leading lady, superstar dancer – it’s heartening to see her just want to be seen as everyone else: a loved human being.
Grade: A-
THE GREATEST LOVE STORY NEVER TOLD is now streaming on Prime Video.
