Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated

The documentary tells Demi Lovato's life up to that point. She began as a child actor, then made music and became known young. Addiction, an eating disorder and periods of treatment are inside the narrative. The film also follows the preparation of a new album: the studio work, rehearsal and the plan for a tour. Hannah Lux Davis directs. The documentary dates from 2017 and was released online. It was made with the artist's own team and carries a promotional purpose. Its most concrete side is the recording; how the songs are written and arranged is shown. Her family, her close circle and the manager she had at the time speak in it. What is most striking is the meaning it took on afterwards; the period of sobriety she describes was broken not long after and the artist went through a serious health crisis. The film is read differently now because of that. Its limit is distance; there is no critical view and some subjects are passed over on the surface. Who it is for: viewers who like music documentary and listeners of the artist. Who it is not for: the narrative is promotional, there is little new information, and the subjects stay shallow.