Director’s Cut: David Furnish’s Tantrums and Tiaras

My Take: Go out and buy!

For a man who admits he is good at giving love but not receiving because he puts up barriers, Elton John shifts gears and allows his partner and director of Tantrum and Tiaras, David Furnish to breaks through these walls.

It was 1995, the year of John’s most successful world tour, and Furnish was entrusted to disclose Elton John’s life from a behind the scenes perspective and in the process captured a BAFTA nomination.

Unscripted poignant and raw footage includes John’s mother touching on his years of narcissism and excess. This honest storytelling reminds us that he is human like the rest of us, but where he separates himself as a superstar is his ability to recover from dark moments by churning these life experiences into top selling hits. This is demonstrated as the scene cuts to a live version of his chart topping Someone Saved My life Tonight, sending chills up anyone’s spine.

Furnish’s direction throughout the documentary allows the viewer to feel like a voyeur into John’s life, inviting us to the more vulnerable side of John, with scenes ranging from visits to his grandmother; to the studio, experiencing his creative process; and into his trailer backstage at the Oscars.

Like any great piece of art, Furnish leaves us wanting for more and to satiate appetites, the DVD, a collectable embossed o-card packaging with Elton John’s Signature, includes never-before-seen footage featuring Rod Stewart, Kylie Minogue, and Fashion Industry Icons Mario Testino & Gianni Versace; deleted scenes; and bloopers.

Released this week, it’s perfect timing for the holidays.

Credits
Director: David Furnish
Cast: Elton John