Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me is a documentary that tells the story of the contentious celebrity and her rollercoaster life that ended in a tragic manner. The film is streaming on Netflix.
Story
Anna Nicole Smith was a small-town country girl hailing from Mexia, Texas with big dreams in her head. She had a less-than-ideal childhood with her mother and stepfather, spending a lot of time with her aunt instead.
After dropping out of high school and getting married early on, Anna began a career as an exotic dancer, although her real goal was to be a model. She put her body through plastic surgery and rigorous treatments because she wanted to be appealing.
Anna had a magnetic personality and attracted attention with whatever she did with her relationships drawing much examination. Her marriage to 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall drew the most skepticism and even underwent a court case regarding his estate following his passing.
She had many demons in her life such as her fractured relationship with her family and this led to substance abuse according to many of those close to Anna. All of it came to a head when she was found dead of a combined drug intoxication in 2007, bringing an unfortunate end to a charming yet troubled individual.
Positives
The home videos and the various individuals brought in to speak about Anna’s life offer great insight into the life of someone who spent most of her time in the public eye. There is a perspective that hasn’t always been provided.
Negatives
The film doesn’t dive deeper into any aspect of Anna Nicole’s life with just a surface-level examination before moving on to the next phase. There’s so much about her life that was intriguing but the film only chooses to give the audience a brief look at it.
There is a bit of an emotional disconnect when the audio overlays with dramatic shots of Anna’s hometown or the enacted sequences of forlorn-looking children when someone else is talking about their tough childhood.
Verdict
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don’t Know Me is an insightful documentary that rarely scratches beyond the surface of someone who lived a very full life with several ups and downs before her untimely demise. It does highlight the pitfalls of acquiring fame and the predatory nature of the paparazzi in Hollywood who latched onto every single issue of Anna Nicole’s life.
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me
Director: Ursula Macfarlane
Date Created: 2023-05-16 12:30
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