Nothing Compares (2022) User Reviews

What a Voice

[billcr12 · 9/10 · 1 October 2022]

I first heard Sinead here in NY on WLIR-FM in 1987 with the release of her first album, "The Lion on and the Cobra." She was also played on college radio and it wasn't until the Prince song, "Nothing Compares to You" that she became a rock star. The film shows the incident when she would not allow the National Anthem to be played before a concert and its repercussions. Later, while appearing on SNL, she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II and, excuse me, all hell broke loose. As a struggling Catholic, I was not offended by the gesture and history has proven her to be accurate after the many molestation cases came to light with the cover ups by the Vatican. I only wished for more and longer segments of her music. Her voice is magical and this film a gritty and honest portrayal of her life.

The Story Of An Irish Icon

[psycatron · 8/10 · 30 June 2022]

As someone who grew up as a teenager in Ireland during the time period that is the focus of this film, even 15 year old me had a hint of awareness that SOC was possibly the victim of a society, that just wasn't ready or willing to face up to the reality of the issues she shone a light on, both in our own country and further afield.

What this film does is show the world that the things she did weren't some random acts of self-sabotage, or even worse, publicity stunts to prop up her career. She used the global platform she had to speak up for those who could not be heard, to give them a voice when nobody was listening. She didn't do this at the expense of her career as she was so publicly derided for, this was exactly what she was put on this planet to do. Music and art were the platforms that enabled her do it and she did it in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.

The problem for Sinead was that she was so far ahead of her time, living in a time when thou dare not speak truth to power, in a world where social media platforms and hashtag movements didn't exist. If there was anybody in her corner, we simply didn't know about it at the time as they too had no voice. The world's media simply constructed the version of Sinead they wanted us to see.

It's a beautifully immersive film that in time I think will really vindicate a genuine social justice warrior in the court of public opinion.

And about time too.

She deserves it.

With 20/20 hindsight, Sinead was YEARS ahead of her time

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 11 October 2022]

As "Nothing Compares" (2022 release; 95 min.) opens, Sinead O'Connor is announced at some show and upon hitting the stage, she is widely booed by much of the arena. We then go back in time, and in a voice-over, Sinead tells us that "I got into music as therapy" and how she was suffered from an abusive mom for years... At this point we are less than 10 minutes into the documentary,

Couple of comments: this is the feature length debut of writer-director Kathryn Ferguson, who previously directed Sinead's 2013 music video "4th & Vine". Here she reassesses the rise and fall of the fiercely independent and non-conformist Irish singer. All of the hot topics are examined including the infamous SNL scene exactly 30 years ago this month where she shreds the Pope's picture (to protest against the Catholic church's sexual abuses). The bulk of the movie covers 1987 to 1993, when Sinead was only 21-27. Watch how she resists immense pressures to give in on this and that (when her music label found out she was pregnant as she recorded her debut album, they "suggested" she have an abortion--she refused). And what about the music, you might ask? Well, if you are expecting to hear "Nothing Compares 2 U", don't waste your time. Prince's estate (led his half sister Sharon Nelson) refused the use of the song in the documentary, apparently because in Sinead's 2021 memoir "Rememberings", she had some unflattering comments about Prince. Talk about being petty and small-minded, if not vindictive. But as the last 10 min. Of this wonderful and moving documentary shows, Sinead was right all along, but simply YEARS ahead of her time and hence not understood or worse. (And if you haven't read "Rememberings", I'd readily suggest you do.) Back to the documentary's opening scene: it was from Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in late October, 1992, 3 weeks after the pope picture incident. As someone in the documentary pointedly observes: "They are at a BOB DYLAN show, what were these people thinking?" (referring to the sell-out crowd booing Sinead). Then look how Sinead handles the situation...

"Nothing Compares" premiered recently on Showtime. I watched it on the SHO streaming app last night, and I was surprised how great this documentary turned out to be. Whether you like Sinead's music or not (I'm a casual fan at best), this documentary is so much more than that, and I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.

Thoughtful and brilliant!

[CphSaint · 9/10 · 3 April 2022]

I saw this really interesting documentary yesterday for the CPH-DOX festival in a packed cinema hall.

I myself have a couple of old and dusty Sinéad O'Connor albums, but they have unfortunately like Sinéad herself been forgotten with time .... And that's a shame, well almost a sin, as she and especially the 3 amazing albums from 1987-92 deserve to be heard! I got several songs, some new ones too, on repeat in my head after seeing the film, "Mandinka" among others.

I was looking forward to the super hit with over 200 million plays on Spotify, which, however, was not included in the documentary due to the rights holders! (Prince Estate!)

Apart from the music, the film took me back in time to my own youth and was both interesting, touching, funny and really really thoughtful especially with the eyes of today.

It deserves to be seen, and Sinéad deserves to be heard.

Good music bio about an interesting character

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 18 August 2022]

I remember Sinead O'Connor being a pretty big presence in the British music press of the early 90's. She would be hitting the front covers of the Melody Maker, Sounds and the NME on a regular basis. I did recall the fallout of her appearance on American telly where she ripped up a picture of the Pope and then thinking back to it now, she did seem to drop off the radar somewhat massively. This doc doesn't so much give us the biography of O'Connor from start to finish, it instead focuses her mid 80's rise in the music industry until her fall from the spotlight in 1992. There's little detail on her earliest years and pretty much nothing from the past 30 years. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, as it allows us to zoom in and look at the period where she made her most iconic music and made the biggest impact on the culture overall. There is a reminder of just how good her debut album The Lion and the Cobra is and there is unforgettable footage of her appearance at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary show where she was abused by large swathes of the audience for her Pope protest..somewhat ironic coming from those attending the celebration of one of the world's foremost protest singers. A lot of excellent footage has been unearthed to put this film together, which adds a lot, even if Prince's estate refused use of the song which gives the film its name - pleasingly, the film-makers address this in the end credits to explain this obvious elephant in the room. Overall, this is a very good music bio, as there is plenty of grit and drama to go along with some top tunes.

Only half of the story

[evanwijk · 7/10 · 21 January 2023]

This documentary is worth a view if you respect Sinead as an artist, grew up in her heydays, or take an interest in the history of feminism and women's rights.

I have always liked Sineads music a lot, and have been interested to learn more about the music she made in those mysterious years after her 'cancellation' by conservative voices following her tearing up the picture of pope JP II during het performance at Saturday Night Live.

Unfortunately, that scene from the nineties is the end of this movie, so the desire to learn more of the much less documented later period stays undocumented.

The movie mainly focuses on her youth, rise to fame and her heydays and her downfall, the latter two of which are all too familiar subjects already. The other two parts (youth & rise) are interesting, also as a context for what would follow later, as they explain well how Sineads activist side grew.

As is the case with the music of the last.30 years, her life of those years is also missing from this documentary. Conversion to Islam, rumored lesbianism and the very sad death of her son recently are not here, and that's a journalistic choice that can only be respected.

However, there would be a lot of years & material left for a sequel to this documentary, describing the years post 1992. Maybe less commercially viable, but I'd watch it!

Finally, I've always respected Sinead as an artist and as a human, and this documentary has further solidified that image of her. A troubled mind, but a wonderful principled and sincere person - and a unique artist.

She lost all. But it did not break her.

[Avwillfan89 · 9/10 · 11 October 2022]

All the people in the entertainment industry who bullied and threatened Sinead after she refused to sing the US national anthem before a concert AND that famous moment where she ripped a picture of the pope on SNL, owe her an apology. In the first instance, she refused as an act to protest against the Gulf War. The picture ripping was to express her anger at the cover up of decades of child sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Church.

They absolutely railroaded her and her career was never the same after that. All because she refused to conform.

Ireland and the US at the time had a lot of things in common when it came to misogyny and sexism, but with a few differences. While Ireland at the time was far more regressive, the US, particularly if you were a female musician, had their own set of rules: You could be what ever you wanted and dress how ever you wanted, but if you are not respectful of certain people, even if they are doing something wrong, if they are horrible people, they will destroy you. And that is what happened to Sinead. She escaped all of her family abuse and rigid misogyny of her country to the US, only to be scored, abused and cast out like a pariah after the picture ripping.

This is quite a short bio-doc. It doesn't cover the whole of her life. Just literally up until the Bob Dylan concert. This is more about the impact she had on female musicians that grow up today, and how they don't have to face as much scorn as Sinead did in the early 90s for speaking out on important issues.

Also the incident with Prince is not mentioned (another bad man). Not surprising since his estate refused to licence Nothing Compares To You for this film, despite the fact that it is her signature song.

If you want to find out more about Sinead's life, read her autobiography Rememberings, because it is a fantastic book.

Entertaining but could have gone deeper

[winedivanyc · 7/10 · 3 October 2022]

I was a fan I'd SOC as an American coming of age in the 90's, and I still am. I'd like to first clarify that her downward spiral in America was as much about her refusal to have the national anthem play before her concerts as ripping up a photo of the pope. The former exhibited an overwhelming display of immature arrogance toward a country that only served her well, which might explain why Prince's estate refused to allow footage of SOC performing the song he wrote.

That said, I felt the film was entertaining although I would have enjoyed seeing more of her process, like how she composes her songs. And more about how her career bounced back. She is a very talented artist with a great story, and a lot has happened in the past 30 years.

Heartbreaking and enlightening

[insightflow-20603 · 10/10 · 3 April 2023]

Haven't been a big Sinnead fan, I never followed her "controversy" over the years - but I did notice her desperate Facebook appeals a few years back. It's hard really to even begin sharing my impressions, so let's just say (after many others) this documentary is a fitting tribute to an remarkable woman who glows. She obviously never wished to be a "pop star", and her artistic expression achieved what it was intended for, to not only be therapeutic but keep her alive. That she did become a pop star and an icon was inevitable - she is captivating - an epitome of sincerity and compassion, wrapped in beauty - and it's tremendously sad her struggle intensified over the years. This is, however, to be expected with complex post-traumatic stress being left untreated, and the abuse she suffered on from the patriarchy-enslaved public. We can't begin to fathom either what it was to tear the main image of it, the Pope, or to suffer the backlash. A recent crucifiction of a woman by the inane patriarchy fan boys and girls is the Amber Heard trial, so the heartbreaking fact is that nothing's changed - and the only means of instant emancipation of a woman is simply to be vocal. To scream if necessary. Would feminist icons like Gaga and others be possible today if not for Sinnead? We can't speculate, but it's clear she was the first. It's encouraging to know that the climate in Ireland has also changed.

The boys are simply terrified, and likely due to inept mothers like Sinnead's - and these mothers, and women in general who have operated themselves from compassion in awe of patriarchy, bear the guilt. It's symptomatic that a woman on TV, Sinnead's accuser, said angrily that child abuse in her case had been justified.

I see that Sinnead was quick to be deemed bipolar by dubious psychiatrists, which was later reversed, and she's now branded "borderline". Current psychology, however, tends to summon all Cluster B disorders under the umbrella of CPTSD. And that's curable through mere compassion, support, and a feeling of safety. Her big heart is what's kept Sinnead sane, and she IS saner than anyone who tries to cover child abuse. Let's say the majority of the music business, not to mention the Catholic church.

Big kudos to Kris Kristofferson... Sinnead's first husband also speaks of her with such warmth. It makes me happy that these filmmakers have made the steps to reinstate a true icon.

I see she's recently written an autobiography, described as "full of heart, humour and remarkable generosity", and she has an album coming. She is still OUT THERE. How many of us have dared?!... "Thank you for breaking my heart and making it stronger."

2u

[nim-rod77 · 6/10 · 1 October 2022]

I like to think myself christian .. orthodox not catholic, so i have little to do with the war and hate waged on catholics by the left.. that soon snowballed into antichristianity.

This movie is well done, and it tries to promote the beautiful beginnings and beautiful ending of sinead. I ahave no clue if either the beginning or the end is correctly depicted socially, but spiritually I feel like it is.

I do not think her coherent or full of integrity, just as i dont think the feminist movement full of integrity. It is all another proof of how bad gets packaged as good and for most people it is hidden.

I like to see this movie as objective truth in my optimistic way.. that shows directly her virtue and zeal and indirectly her incompetence in managing all the conflicts the good from bad, the known from unknown, the impulse from prudence.

An Icon Ahead of Her Time

[brentsbulletinboard · 8/10 · 10 October 2022]

Being ahead of one's time can be a dual-edged sword. On the plus side, it can get you noticed. And, on the downside, it can get you noticed, but not necessarily in a positive light. Such was the experience of Irish pop star Sinead O'Connor, who exploded on the music scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The musical sensation became known for one of the most distinctive set of pipes in the business, with an ability to jump octaves in a single bound and to be able to go from a soft whisper to a banshee scream at the drop of a hat. But, as director Kathryn Ferguson's new Showtime documentary illustrates, O'Connor underwent a fall from grace that unfolded almost as quickly as her stratospheric rise, a change driven by a string of unpopular public protests against the Roman Catholic Church, American and Irish government policies, and cultural practices that ran afoul of her views about militarism, abortion rights and other hot button issues. She became a pariah, unable to get airplay for her new music and even facing death threats. Her gestures were seen as acts of career suicide, none of which fazed her, given that she couldn't in good conscience stay silent. But, as she faded into obscurity, her views gained ground, eventually leading to changes in line with those opinions. Indeed, she truly was ahead of her time, and this film examines that history in detail through archive footage, interviews with the artist and observations from those who knew her during her meteoric rise, her subsequent fall and her resurgence as both a performer and social activist. And, as the film capably shows, in the end, nothing truly compares to her.

Sinead was like no other

[hjmrwfp · 6/10 · 7 August 2023]

Sinead was such a fragile warrior.

Having been a fan of Sinead in the 90s, most of these events were memorable. However in retrospect she was beyond her time.

I was a bit upset the documentary ended very early. I was hoping to learn more about what happened after the 90s. How she came to change religions. What she had been upto, maybe some interviews with her on camera, or anyone on camera talking.

The format was a little odd to not have a single interview and only people narrating overtop of old footage.

All in all I learnt a few new things about Sinead, but was left feeling sad and wanting to know more.

Not very objective or analytically minded

[garth-51262 · 3/10 · 22 April 2022]

This film is an object lesson in the compromises inherent in authorized biopics.

It's Sinead O'Connor's story told exactly as SOC would have it told: a version in which SOC is a shining beacon of truth-telling who singlehandedly emptied the Magdalene Laundries, legalized gay marriage and abortion in Ireland, and paved the way for Lady Gaga.

In this version, SOC's story ends mere days after her SNL contretemps. She narrates many sections but never speaks on camera. Outside of historical footage, no one interviews her or asks her any difficult or uncomfortable questions.

None of this is inaccurate per se. It's just obvious that SOC is a complex, contradictory, and difficult person with a unique psychology and perspective. I'm sure her actual story is more interesting and informative than this desultory attempt at myth-making lets on.

If you lived through peak Sinead O'Connor the first time, you probably won't come away from this film with much additional information. Sinead-O'Connor-now seems to feel that 23-year-old Sinead O'Connor said pretty much anything worth saying back in the day. Nothing has changed and there's nothing more to add.

Nothing Compares 2 U

[chenp-54708 · 8/10 · 21 April 2022]

Originally premiered back at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. As if writing now, I can't believe I missed this one when I attended the virtual festival back in January 2022.

Nothing Compares is directed by Kathryn Ferguson and it's a story about the five year period of singer and songwriter Sinead O'Connor and all the things happening to her around that time period. I had recently enjoyed some of her songs and her musical style. I really like her song Nothing Compares 2 U, Mandinka, and so on and so on. This documentary is really well informed and has really interesting editing choices. Ferguson includes voice overs from various people who knew O'Connor and O'Connor herself while presenting old footage and creative made up scenes to capture the tone of O'Connor's career, past life, and the controversial times she was in. It doesn't just focus on her music but it also explores about her past trauma with the Catholic church, her parents, politics, religion and many others aspects. Because of these topics, it really helped to sell this documentary to heart and becomes really touching.

Very informative and emotional at times. I knew about Sinead O'Connor before seeing this documentary and reading and listening about her experiences and troubles she was facing, I really do feel bad for her at times especially some of the more recent events that had happened to her. I was able to connect with this documentary very well and learned a lot more then I expected it. Surprisingly, there were some fault with the sound design as some moments felt they had a weird echoing effect in the back ground. Strangely, the main song "Nothing Compares 2 U" didn't appear in this documentary due to copyright issues I have to assume. Weird, but it felt missing.

Overall, a really well informed and at times depressing documentary about Sinead O'Connor.

Rating: A-

Beautifully Crafted

[davidsaid · 8/10 · 4 October 2022]

Nothing Compares (2022) by Kathryn Ferguson is beautifully crafted tribute to one of the most iconic singers of my generation. Sinead's story is both epic, tragic as well deeply inspiring and the director here captured the true value and respect she so rightly deserves. The film gives us a greatly balance montage of performances by Sinead and the political environment surrounding her career and whether you are new to Sinead's work or a lifelong fan honestly i'd say this is a film to see. If you are gonna see one doc this year let it be this one. It's certainly has revitalised my interest in Sinead and well frankly I am in awe of her bravery and passion. Well done to the director, I look forward to her future projects, I know they will be equally as worthy. 8 0ut 10.

"Female vocalist interested in joining folk rock group"

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 25 March 2024]

Born in Dublin to a violently erratic mother, Sinead O'Connor was a troubled youth and Dylan-fan sent to a girl's group home when she was 14, where she met a caring female music teacher who changed Sinead's life; hearing her student sing for the first time, the teacher was so moved she asked Sinead to perform "Evergreen" at her wedding, a powerful moment that started the locals talking. This music biography/documentary from director Kathryn Ferguson through the Showtime Network is well-researched and presented, although anyone who has already seen the excellent VH1 "Behind the Music" special on O'Connor will experience quite a bit of déjà vu. That being said, Sinead's turbulent life is worth revisiting and, of course, the music is still great to hear. Watching how the public and media turned on Sinead after she tore up a picture of the Pope on live TV in 1992 is still tough after all these years, but her resolve in passionate matters of the heart is at once startlingly mature and fascinating. *** from ****

Great Supportive and Eye-Opening Documentary

[webbedfeetharleybabe-792-183458 · 10/10 · 2 October 2022]

Having always been a fan of Sinead, I'm relieved the documentary supported the truth of her upbringing and trauma. Having suffered at the hands of the Catholic Church, her tearing up of the pope photo on SNL is finally bringing to light how the church failed and punished her and protected the pedophiles. She was wrongly cancelled 30 years ago. This was very well done. It's worth noting that Prince wrote Nothing Compares to You for Sinead and his estate refused to allow her to include it in the documentary. I sincerely hope the haters will stop hating and recognize her doing the best she could with what she had to work with.

Snead kicked ass

[Blumanowar · 10/10 · 20 October 2022]

Siena's kicked A55 and the religious right at the time crucified her for simply doing what people do every day in this current environment. She scared the establishment both right and left and I think she is a legend because of the courage that little girl had. She's not a little girl anymore and she's still a bad ass. How timely to see the cuts showing the approval of abortion in CONSERVATIVE Ireland. Sinead was addressing the very issues 35 yrs ago and these issues that have now ruined our country because nobody believed how bad it could get from the right and just how much that my white counterparts are afraid of giving brown people a say in leadership. You still Rock Sinead!!!!!

An extraordinary voice, in two ways.

[daz-15753 · 9/10 · 13 June 2023]

I chose to watch this as, being born three months before her, at the time I was very disappointed when she became so political, as I just wanted the next great song to listen to. In my sheltered life, I didn't want music to be anything more than entertainment.

This doco explained a lot about her motivations, that at the time, I was too ignorant to consider as important. I think that as a reasonable person, you can still find her methods challenging, but the messages should now be hard to disagree with. A human being ahead of her time.

Arguably the most beautiful singing voice I ever heard. And now that I'm much older, and a little bit wiser, one of the most beautiful, brave and honest "voices" of my generation.

Thank you.

Certainly a missed opportunity.

[torrascotia · 3/10 · 18 October 2022]

Despite the fact I have been aware of Sineads career and her frequent appearances in the press, there was some eye opening information I had never heard until I saw this documentary. It focuses heavily on her early life and career, but only in a very shallow way. There is no real depth to this documentary which is a shame. However what is missing from the documentary are some obviously well known and significant episodes of her life. Many of which occurred after the timeline of this documentary. It feels like a bit of a white wash.

Its also a documentary which feels like a 2022 one, gender identity is shoehorned into it, as if the fact that she used to dress as a skinhead somehow made her less of a woman. Its also suggested that she was a feminist trailblazer, speaking out against Irelands attitude towards women and issues like abortion. While this is meant to be a "good thing", the problem is that the other side of the argument isn't explored. That access to abortion and contraception has also had negative effects in terms of its effects on the devaluation of the family unit. If anything the feminism that she seems to espouse is now outdated, as its led to not just unhappiness for a generation of women. But many are single and childless as a result of it. Which is the other glaring issue of this documentary, that is her self destructive behaviour leading to her unhappiness. The problem with these type of documentaries is they never actually challenge the artist, they are basically fluff pieces making them out to be heroic. Its far better when they actually challenge the artists thinking, otherwise we are just left with what is a bunch of slogans they have said that have little meaning or depth.

While its one thing to try and stand up for the truth or to protect children from the church, but it actually takes some skill to be so clumsy in your message that people actually side with the abusers. Which is something the whole picture ripping episode managed to do.

The fact this documentary basically stops at the point of self sabotaging her career then glosses over the next 20 years or so gives the impression of a cover up.

Her personality comes across as being of a defiant/oppositional type, you don't get thrown out of five schools in one year for nothing. Nor does the mothers side of the story get an opportunity. All we hear is that she calls her mother abusive, but how was she behaving? This is the major weakness of the doc, its one sided from a person who obviously causes hassle for other people due to her attitude.

Who would have thought being an a disagreeable, aggressive feminist who pulled publicity stunts onstage would be bad for your career?

Very little is said about her mental health issues which are significant.

Overall you get the impression this was a feminist fluff piece which would seek to encourage young women to be like her, however a quick google search would probably change their minds. To me however its a documentary that shows people how not to live their life and the dangers of a self centred and defiant attitude.

Its a shame this wasn't a more balanced documentary, hopefully someone has a better stab at it in the future. Prince story included.

Powerful.

[fostrhod · 8/10 · 15 June 2023]

Sinead O' Connor Nothing Compares 2022 (documentary about Sinead) The film is a detailed study of Sinead's rise to popularity and subsequent fall, admittedly self inflicted due to her strong and passionate beliefs.

I hadn't realised how controversial her tearing up of the pope's picture live on TV was, it was her death knell, her "bigger than Jesus" moment , but unlike the Beatles, she was female and didn't have the power of a major publicity PR team to resurrect her and principally she was a solo artist who only had herself for support.

I guess if you like Sinead's music, you'll love the documentary I do so it is a wonderful thoughtful watch, although not enough music is featured and especially not enough coverage of the last 30 years ,.

She is a brave and emotionally damaged individual, I do think the parallels with Amy Winehouse are fair, Whereas Amy died and is now seen as a great, her problems were self inflicted. Sinead is now considered a minor figure when her quality of work is far superior.

Ironically the song that the film is named after Sinead's biggest hit "Nothing Compares To You" was denied use in the film by Prince's estate .

8/10.

Nothing Compares to Sinead

[dakjets · 8/10 · 13 February 2023]

If there really is a fascinating story, it has to be Sinead's. And therefore suitable for a documentary.

Nothing Compares works a long way. In particular, her upbringing and the start of her career are strongly emphasized. That her musical collaborator and former husband John Reynolds' participation provides valuable insight and information. The documentary spends a lot of time emphasizing Sinead's genuine commitment to shining a spotlight on injustice. She was ahead of her time. It also becomes clear here that Sinead was (and still is) a protest singer, who at some point became a pop star. And a megastar. The documentary tells in a good way the price she had to pay professionally and personally, because she stood up for what she believed in. This makes her unique and incredibly fascinating, and it clearly shows here.

The downside is that I would have liked to have her more involved in the documentary (besides old footage), and I could also have liked more about her career after her performance where she tore up the picture of the Pope.

But all in all, this is definitely worth watching. Both for new and old fans.

Fascinating portrayal of a rebellious pop star

[cherold · 8/10 · 11 January 2023]

I watched this only because my girlfriend wanted to. I was barely aware of O'Connor at the height of her career and don't care for a lot of her music.

But this is a really interesting documentary about a rather fascinating character. As portrayed here, she is the classic be-true-to-yourself artist, willing to risk her career for her prinsiples. This is stylishly filmed and has a clear, compelling narrative. And O'Connor is more likeable than I expected (having seen nothing of her except the clip of her tearing up the pope's picture).

There is one very surprising omission in this documentary, but the credits explain why that is. It's really annoying that someone made that decision, but it's still an excellent documentary and highly recommended.

SINEAD's Talent is once in a generation

[willysideeye · 8/10 · 29 December 2022]

Lest me say that I WORSHIP THIS WOMAN! Her voice can Stop Time.

I have about 8 of her 11 albums and no one moves me to my utter core, as does her voice. It envelops me. No one will ever convince me that she deserved the treatment that she got, including the flipping Prince Estate for them denying her use of the song "Nothin Compares To You" for use in this documentary. Fork Them!

I was as riveted to the documentary as I am to the woman, and felt it offered good representation of her many facets. As a musician, she is beyond brilliant. As a human, she continues to grow, as do we all. This movie brought us full-circle from her defiant beginnings to the humbled and still beautiful soul that she has become.

Sinead was definitely before her time. She is Once In A Lifetime.

Powerful Then, Powerful Now

[tomazulob · 9/10 · 29 January 2023]

In 1987, 20-year-old Sinead O'Connor released an album called The Lion and the Cobra, which I heard and immediately made it part of my music library. Her voice was like nothing I had ever heard before: powerful, emotional, and pained. I played that thing to death. Her next album had the Prince song "Nothing Compares to You". Wow! The raw emotion in that song was off the charts. Then her bit on Saturday Night Live stopped her world-wide popularity in its tracks. This documentary follows her life history, which was heavily influenced by the male-dominated religion in Ireland. It ripped her mother apart, which led to Sinead's abuse. The video explains her anger with the Catholic church and its abuse that was displayed in various forms all around that country. Her anger helped influence an entire country's women to lead to the transformation of a country that is acceptant of all people. This is a difficult movie because her anger and the visceral anger of the men around the world toward her for being herself was painful to watch. In the end, people now understand more what her anger was about.