In recent years, Justin Timberlake’s been forcefully trying to sell to the world that he can act. For a superstar of his stature, he’s done just fine at picking the right roles to showcase his good looks and undeniable charisma, most notably putting both to good use as Sean Parker in The Social Network. But as Jonathan Demme’s concert documentary Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids indisputably shows, Timberlake is only truly in his element when on stage being a showman.
Filmed over the final few nights of Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience tour in Las Vegas, Demme’s film doesn’t purport to be the megastar’s answer to Madonna: Truth or Dare, the Material Girl’s seminal documentary that blended footage from her Blond Ambition tour with a candid delve into her whirlwind life.
Demme gets his behind-the-scenes bits swiftly out of the way, introducing us to Timberlake’s bandmates, managers and dancers. The singer silently takes in the cavernous MGM Grand arena and relaxes in his backstage suite. Ready to go on, Timberlake appears completely unfazed, high-fiving his crew as he passes them by on the way to take his position. Then, before you know it, he’s onstage getting the party started.
Only during the end credits does Demme return backstage, to show the herculean task of transforming the venue into Timberlake’s playground. For the rest of Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids, Demme keeps the focus solely on the concert. Luckily, the man of the hour puts on a great spectacle.
Even if Timberlake’s brand of funky pop is not to your liking, he proves himself to be such a forceful and gifted entertainer, that resistance is ultimately futile. His falsetto is on-point throughout, as are his smooth moves – like a blend of Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Prince, to whom the film is dedicated. There’s a sexy swagger to Timberlake’s onstage personae that never reads as cocksure, largely because of the lavish attention he pays to his band and dancers.
As the title of Demme’s documentary suggests, Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids is inclusive, showcasing the talents of the 25 or so performers sharing the stage with the main act. They all look like there’s no place they’d rather be, despite it being the end of a grueling two year tour. In an era when machines are largely responsible for the beats that drive pop music, the reverence Timberlake shows for actual instruments is worth endearing.
Still, there’s no mistaking Timberlake as ring leader. He works hard for the title, sweating his way through the numbers, mostly culled from his hit 2006 album FutureSex/LoveSounds, leaving his set only once, to change from his tight Tom Ford tuxedo into something more casual. On top of singing and dancing, he plays both the piano and the guitar. But his most impressive feat: not once is he seen swigging water. The only liquid he consumes, under Demme’s watch, is a shot of tequila, offered to him by his frequent producer Timbaland, who’s planted in the audience pit.
Timberlake is altogether God-like, as presented in the Netflix film, with Demme oftentimes shooting him from underneath, like a commoner gazing up at an idol. It’s a hell of a view.
- Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids arrives on Netflix 12 October.
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