PINEDA. From shaky newcomer to certified rock god. RUBEN V. NEPALES
LOS ANGELES – Ramona Diaz’s documentary on Arnel Pineda and Journey was praised as “terrific” and “compelling” by the critic of a popular US entertainment website. “It’s a heck of a story,” gushed TheWrap.com’s Leah Rozen about Arnel’s real-life tale, from a hardscrabble existence to the frontman of a world-famous band, as chronicled by Ramona in her film.
Leah wrote in her review, “One of the most successful rock bands in the world needs a new singer. The group goes to YouTube to find him, hiring a little-known cover-band frontman from the Philippines. That’s the story – and it’s a terrific one – told in ‘Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,’ a compelling documentary that had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.”
Leah commented that “Don’t Stop…” “recalls ‘Metallica: Some Kind of Monster’ (2004) and ‘Anvil! The Story of Anvil’ (2008), both well-regarded documentaries that followed the travails of veteran bands in transition. What comes through in all three films are the hard work, dedication and creative drive of the musicians shown, even if their end product isn’t necessarily High Art.”
The reviewer added, “It’s a heck of a story, and one that director Ramona S. Diaz, who was born in the Philippines, but was raised in the US, was quick to recognize as having potential when she heard early on that Journey had contacted Pineda.”
Mixed reviews
Two other reviews were mixed, but both hailed “Don’t Stop…” with the same adjective: “Entertaining.”
Variety’s Rob Nelson wrote, “Proving that the Internet can sometimes reward actual talent, and/or that veteran rockers know the value of stranger-than-fiction spin, Ramona Diaz’s entertaining docu follows the plucking from poverty of a Manila fanboy to serve as frontman of the classic-rock supergroup, Journey. The pic benefits from the charisma (and rock-solid pipes) of Arnel Pineda, but also from the laidback likability of Neal Schon, the Journey guitarist who discovered Pineda belting out the hits on YouTube. Alas, at nearly two hours, the movie never ends; it goes on and on (and on and on), per the titular tune.
“Making more than the most of a documentarian’s backstage pass, Diaz (‘Imelda’) can be somewhat forgiven for the film’s epic balladry, at least in the sense that ‘Don’t Stop’ means to capture the gruelingly monotonous nature of a rock star’s life on the road. Performing ‘Faithfully’ (and other cheesy chart-toppers) for huge crowds of Bic-flicking concertgoers four nights a week, the longhaired, lovably immodest Pineda is clearly living a Journey fan’s ultimate dream, but he also has to contend with a perpetually sore throat, along with the boredom of incessant travel and the severely culture-shocking pressures of newfound fame.
“In talking-head passages, Pineda, faithfully married to the supportive Cherry, speaks philosophically about having lived hand-to-mouth in Manila, while struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, and about the endless temptation to ‘sin’ on tour. Such observations lend gravity even to the concert footage, wherein Pineda channels the melodramatic spirit of former Journey singer, Steve Perry, while adding his own scrappy joie de vivre, covering every inch of the gigantic stage while somehow managing to stay in tune.
Camaraderie
“Not unlike Journey itself, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’” hits corny but impassioned notes, resonating emotionally even (or especially) through clichés. Certainly, the film makes a case for the validity of the reformulated band – no small feat, some would say—while conveying the personalities of individual members, and the camaraderie that extends fully to the group’s newest addition. Culminating in the Manila concert that brought it all back home for Pineda, the docu features interviews with Filipino fans, one of whom marvels at how Journey ‘inherited a nation’ when it went on tour with Manila’s most fortunate son.”
In his review for Screen Comment, Sam Weisberg opined, “In quick-cut, high-gloss concert-video fashion, Diaz takes us through Pineda’s gradual emergence from spastic, shaky newcomer to certified rock god, all while maintaining his modest appeal. Fragile and diminutive, with girlish cheekbones, Pineda is no one’s idea of an arena rock star. ‘I’m not even cute. I’m short, I’m so Asian. It’s like I was Photoshopped into the band,’ he says in one of several charmingly self-effacing asides. But, his vocals are so frighteningly close to those of former Journey powerhouse, Steve Perry, that there’s never any question he’s the man for the job. Diaz’s energetic documentary will make audiences share Pineda’s excitement and awe, but it’s frustratingly limited in scope and depth.”
Sam added, “On an emotional scale, it hits the requisite highs and lows of a ‘Behind the Music’ special, as Pineda shifts from ecstasy to uneasiness to outright disenchantment at the reality of his newfound fame. And, early on, there’s a few saddening scenes capturing the ignorant remarks of certain fans, who don’t welcome the lineup change (‘I think he should be from here,’ one redneck girl says). But, beyond that, Diaz doesn’t delve much into the dark side of Pineda’s outsider status.
Gimmicks
“And yet, ‘Don’t Stop Believin” is a heartfelt, entertaining story which will leave you smiling and hopeful. Diaz makes an excessive use of gimmicks at times (plenty of stop-motion sunsets here), but she’s smart enough to leave in some small, subtle moments of humor, which makes ‘Don’t Stop Believin” more memorable than standard rockumentaries.
“Happily, although Diaz mostly takes Journey’s cheesy theatrics seriously, she’s not afraid to make fun of their world at times. It’s impossible not to laugh at Pineda’s squeaky-clean dressing room (lined with Evian, Throat Coat, and boxes of Premium crackers), or his practicing scales backstage, like a child preparing for a recital.
And, while you might not appreciate the older Journey members’ musicianship, as people, they are refreshingly low-key. It’s touching how much they adore Pineda and defend him from haters. They register like rock-star babysitters, gently instructing Pineda how to tone down his frantic, spur-of-the-moment onstage choreography.
“Its flaws notwithstanding, Diaz’s film is to be commended for drawing out the humanity of a band long-considered by critics to be faceless.”
Ramona is one of the subjects in my book, “My Filipino Connection: The Philippines in Hollywood,” which is now out at National Bookstore and Powerbooks branches in the Philippines.
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at twitter.com/nepalesruben.