Film Nat King Cole Afraid of the Dark Reviews

Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark (2014) Poster

7 /10

A nice documentary well-nigh the great vocalist.

"Nat Rex Cole: Afraid of the Nighttime" is a documentary about the great singer that was apparently the work of his second wife, Maria. Because of this, I remember some of the focus of the film seemed more like a family documentary than a documentary. For example, there is a portion that talks nearly Natalie Cole and her album she created singing over her deceased male parent's old tunes. Because it came out 2 decades later Nat's death, information technology didn't seem appropriate for the film. Also, oddly, near the end Maria mentions Nat's having had an affair on her...something I don't think the viewers needed to hear...more like information technology gave her a take a chance to unburden herself. Plus, if she was going to talk about this, information technology was a bit odd because she was dating Nat when he was still married to another woman. These are not so much complaints but requite yous an thought that some of the film seems like a family project as opposed to just a movie about the human.

Apart from this, the documentary is wonderful and brings attending to one of the greatest voices of all time. Well worth seeing and lovely to listen to.

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6 /10

Reverential Documentary That Lacks the Courage of its Convictions

Jon Brewer's documentary traces the life and singing career of Nat King Cole, with the assist of several contributors including his widow and children, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Buddy Greco, Harry Belafonte and a host of others. We learn a lot near Cole'southward phenomenal talent both as a singer and pianist; and how, as his career progressed, he minimized his talent equally a pianist so as to concentrate on his singing career. Nosotros likewise learn something of the difficulties he faced equally an African American trying to prosper in a segregated society; on several occasions, while playing gigs in major centers like Las Vegas, he was forced to stay in squalid colored-but hotels, while the Euros enjoyed the benefits of first grade accommodation. In the end Cole was rewarded with his own national television series on NBC; but information technology only ran for one flavor, every bit many stations in the South refused to broadcast it. Cole showed what was possible for an African American, so long as they were sufficiently talented, but he did information technology in an unaggressive way; what emerges most tangibly from Brewer's film is that he was a gentleman in all senses of the discussion. Although the film is ninety minutes long, nosotros exercise not learn much almost Cole's character; nor is there sufficient attending given to his contributions to the Civil Rights movement. There are rather too many adulatory comments from the participants, and non enough time given over to historical analysis. Some kind of dating would have been useful equally well; we are non told when the television series was circulate, nor are we actually given much information nigh other significant dates in Cole's career. NAT KING COLE - AFRAID OF THE Night is certainly watchable, only it is something of a disappointment content-wise.

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Documentary, the entertaining life of Nat Cole.

Warning: Spoilers

I found this documentary on Netflix streaming. The title is a direct reference to the non-black general public, particularly in the Southern US, being "afraid" of dark-skinned people who may exist successful. I grew up in the South in the 1950s and 1960s, it was very much a mood of "blacks knowing their identify." Nat Cole of course wasn't the just one, but as a superb pianoforte histrion and singer it is unfortunate he came along at a time when prejudice was near its highest signal.

The documentary is well made, information technology features Nat himself plus nigh members of his family, and many friends and co-workers who knew him well. He was not perfect, his long-fourth dimension wife and mother of his children fifty-fifty referred to an thing she was aware of, but on balance his positives far outweighed his negatives. And he truly had a magical singing vocalism and fashion.

Nat was a long-fourth dimension, heavy smoker and finally gave way to lung cancer. I retrieve when he died, it seemed that he lived a full life. But to put his young death in perspective, two of my children now are older than he was.

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five /x

Gently digging for Cole

It doesn't seem the right word just Nat King Cole was arguably the offset blackness superstar and is certainly worth a screen biography, but this powder-puff tribute overdoes the schmaltz and straightens up and flies right, to coin a phrase, whenever anything slightly contentious appears in the narrative.

In that location's plenty of entertaining moving picture footage of Rex in his archetype, laid back manner and there's no denying his artistry both equally singer and initially jazz pianist. In the time-honoured tradition of screen biographies, noted contemporaries like Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett and Nancy Wilson all line up to speak warmly of the man and his undoubted musical legacy, although they're all decumbent to hyperbole at times. All through the film nosotros're told that Cole was a veritable saint amid men, until we later learn that his commencement marriage failed, that his original grouping objected to the imposed proper name change from the Nat Cole trio to Nat Cole and His trio and later that Mr Family Man extraordinaire had an affair not long before he died - no details of which are forthcoming, in fact blink and you'll miss the reference completely. Fleeting reference is also made to his adopted son who we're told in a screen pop-up, died in his 30'south with no explanation of whatsoever kind (I have since learned he died of AIDS).

I could also have done without the Natalie Cole Prove insert lauding her "Unforgettable" album of duets with dad, while the almost shocking particular in the whole documentary was the image of Cole "whited-upward" for US WASP Idiot box consumption, simply again no groundwork to this icky condescension is provided, such as the sponsor who insisted on it or even Cole'southward reaction to it. For all his supporters praise of his Gandhi-like passive non-resistance to the racism he undoubtedly experienced especially in the American Southward, this submission to the demands of white TV inappreciably casts Cole in a skillful light. Possibly information technology'due south just the reactionary in me but I'd have thought a little more of the man if he had spoken out against the discrimination he suffered rather than forever plow the other cheek. Even when attacked on stage in Alabama he can't bring himself to be anything other than blandly condescending about the incident to the reporters of the 24-hour interval.

Nat Male monarch Cole was a wonderful song-stylist and musician and by all accounts a decent man living in difficult times simply he wasn't perfect and this over-adulatory biography whitewashes Cole's interesting life but equally surely as the offending Tv set show mentioned before.

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vii /10

Average look at a human being who was anything simply.

Well made look at a musical fable with talent to spare. The racism he had to endure was barbarous simply he seemed to be a saint (or the movie ignored any faults) then it'due south basically a prune show of bully music rather than a deeper wait at a life.

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vii /10

Lovely, reverential tribute

Yes, this documentary is made through rose-coloured glasses, but it'south entertaining and sincere. It's been a long time since Nat 'Rex' Cole's expiry, only the producers give a respectable lineup of interviewees who knew Cole, including Tony Bennett and Harry Belafonte. Only it'south Cole's married woman, the late Maria Cole, who is the most impressive witness to Cole'due south life, although she does acknowledge he cheated on her. She has a lot of charisma and is a fine, elegant speaker. Thr doco points out that Cole's talents as a pianist were nether-rated and forgotten, that he suffered racism, and that he was a practiced father. There'due south lots of great performance footage, and it makes y'all realise how many smash hits Cole had.

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8 /10

Information technology must accept been tough

Things would not have been easy for a black homo in a white mans globe, and the thousands of cigarettes that killed him at 45.

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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3645068/reviews

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