Born July 24th 1969 in the Bronx, New York USA, Jennifer Lynn Lopez aka JLo was the middle child in a strict Catholic Puerto Rican household. So, once she had made up her mind to be a dancer by the age of 18 and dropped out of college to pursue it, she was also asked to move out by her mother. Sleeping at a dance studio in Manhattan cut off from her family is where Lopez further developed her skills and resilient attitude, going on to tour around Europe as part of a Revue show before featuring in the background of several music videos and US TV shows such as In Living Color. This was where Lopez was noticed and provided her big break, portraying Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the 1997 biopic Selena. By the millennium, Lopez was the first woman to have a number one film and album simultaneously, the first Latina actress to earn $1 million and credited as the inspiration behind Google Images after millions searched for pictures of her wearing a green Versace dress to the Grammys. As quickly as she rose however, critics and public opinion turned against her, with 2003’s Gigli being branded one of the worst films of all time just the beginning of a hellacious noughties. Taking a career break after giving birth to twins in 2008, she was revitalised as a judge on American Idol and fought back into the limelight throughout the decade, with what is arguably one of Lopez’s peaks depicted in the new Netflix film Halftime.
Taking place in 2019 around her 50th birthday, Halftime is a documentary covering Lopez’s award season campaign for Hustlers (as a producer & playing stripper Ramona) as well as preparation for the Superbowl LIV Halftime show. Between performances and red carpets, we receive insights to past events where Lopez explains how they’ve shaped her path and mindset today. With so much on her filmography already but very few of the roles receiving attention in terms of nominations, a major talking point between her collaborators and family relates to inclusive representation in the Academy Awards, something I’ve discussed previously. This theme links with having to share the Miami halftime spotlight with Shakira, a story spun into a controversy upon the movie’s release by the press that further perpetuates her points on the media industry. Bearing all of this in mind, can JLo clean up at the ceremonies and put on her best show at the Superbowl?
What I’ve gained from watching Halftime is a lot of respect for Jennifer Lopez. Not only is she trying to balance her work-life schedule as a single mother, but there’s always an uphill battle regarding her career where every choice she makes is advertised to the world. The movie contains a very stripped back storytelling method, pieced together in a linear fashion which reflects the honest way she describes her thought process. Even her candour towards politics, something she admits to not investing much into prior, is refreshing to hear and shows that you can still do your bit of activism when presented with the opportunity. They do belabour a couple of points in an already short amount of time, though this does sufficiently express her hatred for Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park. Halftime also solidifies the style of structure l enjoy in documentaries: taking a significant time in someone’s life and allowing that story to unfold, only sprinkling in relevant contextual past moments here and there. The narrative also has action, twists and turns similar to a drama if you are unfamiliar to the beats that take place, so perfect viewing for newcomers and die-hard stans alike. I missed quite a lot out of Lopez’s life in the opening paragraph, which I’m sure they could have crammed into a 2hr 30mins biopic (and likely will at some point), but this would definitely miss the real Jenny From The Block shown on display here.