Justin Bieber: Do you Beliebe in Magic?
I may as well admit that I’m well beyond the age limit and
entirely on the wrong side of the gender equation as far as Justin Bieber’s
target audience. So much so, in fact, that when I went to the theater this
weekend to see the movie I almost wished I had a sign on my back saying that it
was my job to be there. Because even your average Miley Cyrus romcom wouldn’t
command a more thoroughly female and thoroughly teenage audience as the
Biebster.
But the fact that I’m completely outside of Bieber’s fan base and almost entirely indifferent to him other than as he coincides with my responsibilities as a film critic, I will say that this is a well-made musical documentary and it does a fantastic job of telling the compelling story of his discovery and his rise to global fame, which is nothing short of miraculous.
Pop culture phenomenons are always interesting stories, but Bieber’s story is unique because he was never groomed for the spotlight. He didn’t come from a famous family or have the backing of Disney or some tv show or anything else. He was just a kid who placed second in a music contest and then put a few videos on Youtube and basically brought himself up to where he is based on the strength of his singing prowess and his…what?
What is it about Justin Bieber, anyway? I know the kid can sing, but lots of people can sing. So what’s the deal? His clothes? That hair? The very fact that he’s famous and becoming even more famous?
At the time of this writing, his video of “Baby,” with Ludacris, is the most watched Youtube video of all time at about 465,000,000 views. 465 million!!! That’s unbelievable! Can you imagine being 16 years old and having made a music video that’s been watched by more people than the entire population of the United States?
And this is the miracle that makes the movie worth making,
and worth watching, as long as you’re one of the kid’s unflinching fans, or
interested in the curious machinations of America’s frantic pop-culture, even
when it’s centered on some bowl-headed Canadian kid. 
The movie itself is less of an informative musical documentary as much as it is a hefty helping of everything that Bieber’s rabid fans want to see. This will leave non-fans with the feeling that something crucial is missing, even while surrounded by screaming teenagers.
But that collective scream is what the thing is really all about. Justin Bieber has reached a level of fame where his very popularity is a curiosity piece in itself. “Baby” now has 465 million views on Youtube, and people who have never even heard of him would be curious to see what the big deal is about the whole thing. Personally I think your average Viral Video Film School segment is more interesting than your average Bieber video, but that concentration of celebrity power is always interesting, and in this case it’s a stark illustration of the power of millions of teenage girls.
The future of Justin Bieber, of course, remains to be seen.
I have to admit that I’ve seen pictures of him lately where it’s clear that his
boyhood charm is disappearing and turning into what could quite possibly be the
same kind of creepy late-teen and early-20s awkwardness that McCauley Culkin,
for example, never quite recovered from.
Will Justin still be able to woo emo music fans the world over as his voice continues to change? Who knows. It’s hard to believe that he’ll ever be able to overcome the teenage persona that he’s currently milking for every penny its worth (as he should), but for the moment Never Say Never is a curious exploration of what has led him to become what he is today, as we continue to wonder what tomorrow will bring.
And by the way, if you ever did say never, now you know never to say never again, right?
Note: Justin Bieber turns 17 on March 1st and I bet it’s gonna be a hell of a party!
The Bean Meter
