In 1975, Elton John – née Reginald Kenneth Dwight – changed the music world forever with his two sold-out gigs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. At least 110,000 fans came together to watch a flamboyant artist become a legendary musician right then and there. It’s only fitting that almost fifty years later, Sir Elton John would play his last US concert in the same venue during his farewell stadium tour. It’s this journey, from those two career-changing concerts to his final farewell, that is the central storyline of Elton John: Never Too Late, the latest documentary by filmmaker R.J. Cutler (Belushi, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry) and the subject’s husband, David Furnish.
Throughout the archival footage, the beautiful photos, and Elton John’s mesmerizing voice-over, a portrait of a genuinely creative, vulnerable, extravagant musician and person emerges. The directors focus on both John being a brilliant performer and a loving husband/father. They want to capture the entire journey from John’s first step on stage to his final bow, but they only partially succeed due to the limited 102-minute runtime. If Elton John: Never Too Late were a limited series instead of a documentary, the directors and audience would have more time to truly discover the man behind the flashy outfits, resulting in a much stronger, more engaging, and more inspiring work.
Because of the time restrictions, the directors had to choose which events they wanted to highlight the most and which they needed to leave out. While they give Elton John, the musician, the upper hand over Elton John, the loving family man, they aren’t afraid to show the highs and lows of his professional and personal life.
The more uplifting moments come to life beautifully with the usual visuals, performance videos, the reenactment of diary entries, and footage of fans screaming and running behind his car in the Beatlemania style. Those scenes are genuinely entertaining and when you see how John gets a terrified John Lennon to make a comeback with him on stage and then hiding moments later from Andy Warhol, you know you’ll see surprising scenes that will make you grin from ear to ear.
What will make you smile as well are the many wonderful songs from the Middlesex-born musician’s endless repertoire. Both the greatest hits and the more unknown work guide you through John’s career in a fluent, dreamy, and upbeat way. That John remembers how hard it is to start as a musician, especially one who’s part of the LGBTQ+ family, becomes apparent when you see the interview between him and the young members of The Linda Lindas that’s being recorded for Rocket Hour, John’s own Apple Music show. Just like the man himself, the done-by-the-numbers documentary knows how much influence the past has on someone’s future and career as a musician.
While John’s being adored by fans worldwide, he’s equally loved by his husband, David, and their two kids, Zachary and Elijah. As abusive as his parents were to John himself, as caring and loving as he is towards his own family. The scenes during which the singer proclaims his profound love for his family are the most touching, inspiring, and sincere. His gentle nature and true care for his children during the many FaceTime calls speak immense volumes about what kind of person John is. It’s a shame we don’t see many of those family events, especially towards the end when the documentary focuses more on his recent farewell tour and rushes over John’s personal life due to the runtime.
In this documentary, John also never shies away from the darker moments in his life, such as his abusive childhood, the troubled relationships during the rise of his fame, and his alcohol and drug addictions. The vivid visuals make room for wonderfully created animations when discussing those challenging times in his life. Those animations are excellent because they add a unique aspect to the otherwise traditional documentary format and another more emotional layer to this examination.
The animated scenes shine a darker light on the lows in John’s life and allow us to take a closer look at the star. The audience sees a side that’s mostly covered up by glossy videos and colourful outfits. Those darker moments show us that no matter how much pain, abuse, and addictions John had to overcome, he kept on growing as an artist and person to become the musician and talent he is today.
Because of the flashy pink cue cards as the countdown to Elton John’s last gig ever and the general atmosphere of the documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late is partly a homage, partly a farewell. While the work doesn’t entirely turn the documentary structure on his head, it’s still very well-made, candid, intimate, and powerful, especially with “Your Song” as his swan song. It’s certainly a perfectly fitting goodbye to an artist who became a one-of-a-kind musician, no matter what obstacles he faced.
Elton John: Never Too Late was screened as a part of the BFI London Film Festival 2024. The film will have a limited theatrical run on November 15th in the U.S. and U.K., followed by the streaming debut on Disney+ on December 13, 2024.
Directors: R.J. Cutler and David Furnish
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 102m
Elton John: Never Too Late is partly a homage, partly a farewell. While the work doesn't entirely turn the documentary structure on his head, it's still very well-made, candid, intimate, and powerful, especially with “Your Song” as his swan song. It's certainly a perfectly fitting goodbye to an artist who became a one-of-a-kind musician, no matter what obstacles he faced.
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GVN Rating
Subtitle translator by day. Film journalist by night.
