2024 Sundance Film Festival - Luther: Never Too Much is a powerful music documentary

The 2024 Sundance Film Festival coverage continues with Luther: Never Too Much. It's wild that a documentary about the legend Luther Vandross has taken almost twenty years to make. That said, Vandross's story was put in the capable hands of the immensely talented documentary director Dawn Porter. From John Lewis: Good Trouble to The Way I See It and Bobby Kennedy for President, Porter has brought to life many historical stories. 

Yes, we have some of the biggest stars in the world talk about Vandross and the impact he made on them and their careers. But Dawn Porter wisely allows the audience to hear many of the stories through Vandross's words. Even through the highest of highs, you can see some true lows in some of this found footage in Vandross's words. 

So many undeniable awful things stood in Vandross's way in that era, and hearing some of the challenges he faced was heartbreaking. One that stood out was his attempt to crossover from R&B to Pop and the racially charged things he faced trying to do so. We watched a man battle because of the color of his skin to attempt to sing songs that he wanted to. 

"He is singing about furniture in this, and it still sounds great. "

- Jamie Foxx

My oh my, we can talk about many things throughout the documentary, but his voice is truly magical. Porter understands the power of his voice by intertwining performances throughout the documentary. We get the entirety of his performance from the 1988 NCAAP Awards, where he sang "A House is not a Home," and it brings chills down your entire body. His voice was so majestic, powerful, and filled with so much soul. 

Luther: Never Too Much takes us on an emotional ride of one of the greatest voices in the music world. The film allows us to connect to the artist in a way that we never have before, all while being swooned by his incredible voice and songs. Vandross touched the hearts of thousands of fans and many of his peers. This is simply the perfect music documentary.