Suzi Q

SUZI Q - Film Victoria

The self-titled documentary Suzi Q, on the iconic Detroit musician Suzi Quatro, is one for much adulation and disappointment in the same breath. Suzi Q follows the famed musician’s young life, the formation of the band with her sisters and eventual rocky road to stardom with all the bumps along the way.

The one thing that is clear from the get-go in Liam Firmager's documentary is the personality and charm of its titular subject. Suzi is delightfully engaging, charismatic and wonderfully poignant. Recounting numerous aspects of her life in sometimes delightfully energetic ways but also discussing more private and emotionally enlightening elements such as her relationships with family, the result is not only an engaging feature but also crafts an immersive and dynamic one to boast.

There is a lot here that unfolds in quite an educational and enlightening matter of fact. It is both a positive and negative. To be informed on a subject is one thing but to convey something like a tick sheet feels forcibly unengaging and dull. Moreover, much of the more interesting information and history on how Quatro dealt with disgusting sexual harassment and misogyny is glided over. Granted, the musician herself is resistant to discuss such aspects — in her words, she was never totally bothered by such actions. Still, it is a serious topic that isn't given a second of prominent screentime.

More slight problems arise in the films aesthetic and creation. To say it looks cheaply made would be an understatement. It is competently made, yes, but the forced grain footage and cheap stylistic choices evoke a sense of amateurish and plastic direction. Elements that engulf the film seem to be taken consciously into its stride rather than the ridiculousness and cringeworthy sentimentality it creates.

Suzi Q is released October 11th, 2019