Bieber Fever Review

• 15th Mar 2011

As the cheap montage of computer enhanced photographs of Justin Bieber accompanied by generic electronic music begins, we know we’re not in for anything special. When the patronising, inane narration starts to regale us with info we could find just as easily and much less annoyingly on Wikipedia, we realise we’re probably in for something along the lines of an E! Entertainment special.

There is nothing original about this documentary, which is understandable – it’s about Bieber after all. But there doesn’t seem to be anything original IN this documentary either, despite its claims of “exclusive clips and never before seen footage”. We get reproductions of magazine photos, the occasional soundless live performance shot from a press gig or those all-too-common shots of young girls screaming. There are no interviews with the lad himself aside from recycled red carpet material, and no chats with anyone who even seems to know the guy.

You will not at any point in this film hear JB sing, nor will you see him performing.

Interviews with “hip hop royalty” (to quote the film’s PR) comprise about 10 minutes maximum of this hour-long film. Snoop Dogg, for example, mumbles something about Bieber probably not wanting to be in a studio with him and Rihanna says “he’s cute.” Full stop.

Somewhat ironically for a documentary that claims to give the story behind this diminutive internet phenomenon, there’s little in this film you couldn’t find on the internet. In fact, you can find more on the internet – if you log onto YouTube you can see how wee Bieber started out with his homemade vids. When watching Bieber Fever you’ll have to be content with re-enactments by an extremely implausible Bieber look-alike playing guitar in his room and going to the mall, blurry images of someone (not Bieber) practising dance moves and close-ups of hands (not Bieber’s) on keyboards.

Sources interviewed for insights into JB include such luminaries as Peter Larson from the Orange County Register and “radio music director” Jaxon Hanks. I’m sure they’re lovely people, and I don’t mean to be rude, but who are they? And would a Bieber-crazed teen give a toss about what these people think Bieber is probably like?

There are one or two interesting comments on the influence of social media on the music industry and how this floppy-haired hobbit’s self-built fan base has helped him reverse the power play in his dealings with record executives. But it’s Media 101 stuff really and again not something your average JB fan is going to be all that interested in.

Comedian, Willis Turner Jr, provides the occasional welcome moment of levity, as he happily seems to be taking his role as interviewee in no way seriously. I think this might be the only way even the most Bieber feverish fan could sit through this barely concealed ride on the JB gravy train.

Kathy Alys