As a long-time follower of Martha Stewart’s extraordinary journey, I must say that R.J. Cutler‘s documentary, Martha, is a fascinating watch for anyone who wants to delve deeper into the life of this multifaceted woman. For those uninitiated to Martha’s pre-Snoop days or those who thought she vanished after her prison stint, this documentary serves as an excellent introduction and debunker of misconceptions, respectively.
Over the course of her life, Martha Stewart has traversed various paths – from teenage model to high-society caterer, household manager, media mogul, convicted felon, and social media sensation in her eighties, who is friends with Snoop Dogg. Her journey, while seemingly diverse, seems to lack a clear connection or pattern.
R.J. Cutler faces a unique challenge in his new Netflix documentary, Martha, as Martha Stewart’s life story is an unconventional one that has played out largely in the spotlight. There might be younger viewers who are unfamiliar with Martha Stewart’s life before she started hosting dinner parties with Snoop Dogg. Similarly, there could be older audiences who may have believed that Martha Stewart faded into quiet obscurity after serving time at a correctional facility often referred to as Camp Cupcake.
The intended audience for this 115-minute documentary appears to be individuals who are already captivated by Martha Stewart yet haven’t delved deeply into her life story. It’s a straightforward, linear film that offers fewer surprises due to one’s existing knowledge rather than any lack of revelations within the documentary itself.
Instead of disclosures, what maintains Martha’s intrigue is observing Cutler debate with his subject. This accomplished documentarian has created films about personalities such as Anna Wintour and Dick Cheney, thus he understands difficult celebrities. In Martha Stewart, he encounters a character who possesses sufficient influence and a well-deserved “I don’t care” attitude that she only shares what she wants, when, and how she desires. She can be frosty when desired, openly candid when beneficial, making Martha feel like a joint endeavor: half the story she wants to convey and half the extent to which Cutler believes her narrative. It’s this latter aspect, far more than the unremarkable biographical details and routine methodology, that proves engaging.
I’ve found myself focusing solely on Stewart for this documentary, even though Cutler has interviewed numerous new figures, including friends, colleagues, family, and a few opponents. However, it’s only Stewart who gets the screen time with the talking head segments. Everyone else contributes through audio-only discussions, their insights playing second fiddle to clips of Martha Stewart throughout her life, as well as the extensive footage of Stewart’s Turkey Hill farmhouse that she granted access to during production.
The “unnoticed” sequences where Stewart carries out her tasks, seemingly ignoring the camera, reflect her overall style in the documentary, which can be simply described as “I’ll grant you my time, primarily when it suits me best.”
In her 83 years, Stewart remains remarkably busy, surpassed in activity by only a handful of people worldwide. The documentary seems to benefit more from her participation than she does herself, a fact she is well aware of. Cutler attempts to coax deeper insights from her, particularly on the subject of contrasting her husband’s affair, which still provokes her ire, with her own infidelities during the same period. Whenever suitable, Stewart prefers to step back from engaging in more sensitive discussions by delegating letters and her prison diary to Cutler, allowing him to handle those somewhat revealing documents as he sees fit.
She tells him to forget about the letters, following their unproductive conversation about her divorce. She clarifies that she’s not one for dwelling on sorrow or self-pity.
Instead, Cutler enlists the help of a voiceover artist to narrate the letters and diary entries, while providing simple, nondescript drawings to fill in the visual blanks.
Much like how Stewart skillfully leaves certain details unsaid during her conversations with Cutler, the filmmaker often relies on viewers to decipher what’s left unspoken. In the back-and-forth about her past relationships, she casually mentions speaking with Andy, her ex, but we never get to hear from him directly in this documentary. You can make of it what you will. And you can draw your own conclusions about her accusations towards producer Mark Burnett for failing to grasp her brand during her post-prison daytime show — an allegation that might or might not account for his absence, as well as the choice to portray The Martha Stewart Show as a short-lived failure (it ran an impressive 1,162 episodes over seven seasons) and to act as if The Apprentice: Martha Stewart never happened. The omissions and gaps in her post-prison life narrative can be roughly encapsulated as, “Things were tough, then she roasted Justin Bieber, and things got better.”
At times, it seems like Stewart momentarily discards her defensive facade, such as when she comments about the reporter from the New York Post who was covering her trial: “I’m glad she’s gone, it’s a relief that no one has to endure the nonsense she was writing.” However, this is not a slip-up. It’s deliberate, cold-blooded, and incredibly ruthless. Instead of revealing more, Stewart often expresses her disdain through subtle gestures like rolling her eyes or fixing her gaze on Cutler, waiting for him to change the subject. That silent treatment alone is a severe critique.
Stewart isn’t a producer on “Martha“, and it seems there are aspects of this documentary she might have chosen to avoid. However, it’s also clear that she’s either shaping the documentary’s direction or providing what Cutler needs for his defined theme. The first half repeatedly highlights Stewart’s pursuit of perfection, and by the end, she reflects on her life’s journey with, “I believe imperfection is something one can learn to handle.”
Observing her interactions with Cutler and her team, it’s clear that her high standards haven’t been compromised. Instead, she’s adapted to a slightly less-than-perfect persona that people seem to appreciate, and she’s refined this aspect of herself. In her words, it’s a positive adjustment.
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2024-09-01 06:25