Rating: 4/5 Language: English Streaming platform: Apple TV+ SPOILER WARNING Taking us on a journey filled with her many trials and tribulations when it comes to her mental health, Selena Gomez bares her heart and soul in Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. Using her diary entries in the documentary, Selena is candid about her battle with Lukos and his relapse, bipolar disorder, a psychotic breakdown that eventually led her to seek treatment, her relationship with ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber And much more. Filming first in 2016 – during The Revival tour, which was canceled after 55 shows due to Sel’s mental health battle – and then from 2019 until well after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are given an inside look at woman behind selena gomez. According to the official synopsis for Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me: “After years in the spotlight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn draws her into the darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary covers her six-year journey in a new light.”
Plus Points:
Given the number of documentaries being made about musicians, you reach a level of stagnation pretty quickly for the genre, especially with how PR-driven storytelling always seems. While you can’t be raw, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is an ambitious attempt to demystify Selena Gomez as not just an American girl next door, but much more complex. Plus, Sel’s biggest asset is the “connections” in her life, and it’s refreshing to see the way Raquelle Stevens and even her management team balance her nerves with empathy and even anger when needed. With minimal concert footage and not ending on a final song note, the documentary takes a more realistic approach, especially when it comes to Selena’s mental health struggles, which haven’t magically disappeared like in the Disney movies.
Minus Points:
With the hurdle of a 96-minute runtime, there’s a certain amount of distortion that distracts us from really focusing on any aspect of Selena Gomez’s life. While the cinematic visualization as a breath between moments is breathtaking, you are also forced into a suspension of disbelief, which is not what the documentary is about. You are not given enough time to breathe. Not digging deep into the cause behind her disasters also negates the “darker secrets” and “intimacy” that Gomez promised in the beginning. What people may also be wondering is why Selena Gomez’s career hasn’t been highlighted, especially her huge TV comeback with Only Murders in the Building. Or even the Disney days, except for a little prelude.
Opinion:
Selena Gomez has always been an anomaly to me when it comes to superstars. While she achieved success at a very young age and had her private life on public display—not in her own words, mind you—Sel has necessarily taken a step back and been more low-key in recent years. As such, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is something that has inspired so many (including this reviewer!) since it was announced, as we’ve been wanting to know who Selena Gomez really is. herself or a version of herself. In the beginning, Selena reads a diary about how she promises to let us in on her “deepest” secrets, especially from her recent years with illnesses. There are some deeply disturbing moments sprinkled throughout as we see Gomez reach her breaking point, put her mask back on and work it all, and take the mask off before it starts or again like a hamster wheel. I bet you’re wondering how many Justin Bieber references make it through Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, and aside from newspaper clippings and paparazzi barking JB questions at her, it’s a pretty “rare” occurrence. With sympathy. Going through the “worst pain” of her life, Selena says it’s the “best thing” that’s ever happened to her. And not delving deeper into it says a lot about the kind of person Gomez is. Through her very difficult phases, especially with her Lupus diagnosis and bipolar disorder, Sel chooses to blame herself and get over it rather than pass it on to her loved ones, even those she lost in the process. A poignant moment occurs when Selena opens up about her psychotic episode that caused her to lash out at her mom and stepdad, but that she understood and had their support. Apologizing to them for their harsh treatment, we also see Gomez criticize herself when she visits Kenya for charity, wondering if she’s really making a difference and saving lives or if it’s all for show. Also starring in Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me is Sel’s BFF Raquelle Stevens, as well as her entire team, who don’t take her outbursts lightly and try to keep her calm as best they can. Seeing the more awkward moments, like an argument between Gomez and Raquel to the one in Kenya where Stevens gives Gomez a much-needed reality check, gives us a sense of the messed-up frame of mind she’s really in. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, director Alek Keshishian, who directed the critically acclaimed Madonna: Truth or Dare balances the liberties he’s been given, which is an inside look at Selena Gomez. What’s admirable is that she never lets the camera overstay its welcome or detract from the freedom it’s been given, but manages not to romanticize her mental health struggles either. What is a problem is the short duration, at three and a half hours which the director teases, explaining the zigzag narrative in less than an hour and a half. What works is not the stereotypical method and the interweaving of concert footage – most of which has already been seen. After a typically awkward interview, Selena Gomez opens up about how she felt like “Disney” again. You can tell how un-Disney Alex wanted Selena Gomez’s documentary to be, with the ending being more open-ended and paradoxical, just like the main protagonist of the story. Introducing a surprise new Selena Gomez song of the same name as the documentary is a gentle way to wrap things up, and it’s effective too. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me allows both Selena Gomez and the viewer to purge some order with the essence being. treating not only people, but also yourself with kindness.
Best moments:
While the reasons behind Selena Gomez’s mental health struggles aren’t explored enough in Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, there’s no “sugar coating” either. Selena Gomez’s diary entries (as well as best friend Raquelle Stevens!) play narrator to give an inside look at the singer-actress’s paradoxical mindset. The ending isn’t given the “happy ending” treatment, but keeps it open to Selena Gomez’s journey to self-love rather than self-sabotage.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, what we learn about Selena Gomez is that she is a paradox, she is enough but also a work in progress. You feel the same way about Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me.
