Want another documentary about a musician overcoming great adversity to achieve glittering critical and modest commercial success? Possibly not, but you should make room in your callous heart for director Barbara Kopple’s Miss Sharon Jones! The titular subject is a powerful vocalist who merits your respect and attention, regardless of whether or not you’re a fan of her band the Dap-Kings’ tried-and-true R&B, soul, and funk.
Born in South Carolina to a mother acquainted with the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, Sharon Jones took a long time to get her m sic career going, not releasing her first record until she was 40. But she made up for lost time by cutting several high-quality, pitch-perfect releases and proving herself to be a galvanizing live performer, inspiring James Brown comparisons. Once you see her onstage, you realize this is not hyperbole.
The film focuses on Jones’ 2013 battle with pancreatic cancer and her subsequent recovery—and then another bout with cancer and another comeback.